#cw parentification

[game-stationed]

CW // Talk of nonspecific and fantasy child abuse/parentification

So I know some people were a bit shaken-up by the reveal that Mommy Long Legs - and many of the other toys - were made from and continue to be children (suggested in Chapter 3 ARG then explicitly confirmed in the official PPT Discord), but I actually feel like there's some interesting commentary to be made here.

I believe that this is intended to be commentary on parentification as a form of abuse, as a lot of Poppy Playtime's themes center on harm done to children. These children are taken and - quite literally, through human experimentation - forced into playing parental roles towards the other kids, halting their own ability to just be a kid themselves. This fits the bill for parentification, which, to my understanding (correct me if I'm wrong!), is especially common in some orphanages, where many older kids are made to step up and play parent for the younger ones.

As the toys also don't age after becoming toys, it feels like that could be commentary on how abuse such as parentification prevents kids from maturing in "normal" and expected ways. "Normal" is relative, of course, but abuse certainly does often throw a wrench in natural development.

I find the way kids being turned into toys works is pretty interesting in Poppy Playtime from a narrative and thematic perspective. It's definitely jarring to learn many, if not all, of these big toys, some of which play parental roles such as Mommy Long Legs, are essentially children, but it feels like a unique and interesting take on the subject of child abuse that also doesn't feel inappropriate or lacking in tact in my opinion.

[the-eldest-daughter1]

I miss Klaus and Sunny, more than I could properly put into words, but I, with slight guilt in my chest, am glad I don't have to protect them any more. I did it readily, of course- I would never have allowed harm to come to them, if there was any way for me to stop it. But being the protector, the defender, was not an easy job. It was scary and heavy on my shoulders, but I do not regret it.

[sablesfables]

Day 6: Past

This is an 11 year old Ojma. Enje would be 5 or 6, Inav would be 1 and no other siblings would be born yet. Age works differently in their world, Winter is the end of the year and that's how they mark age. So someone in their 38th winter might be 37 from how we mark it.

Anyway. Ojma was born and raised and still lives in a spread out but small village. Villages don't get names, only towns and cities.

Ojma was raised by a mother who, as soon as they could talk, treated them as an adult. Talked to them and as soon as they could get a handle on some fine motor skills had them in a role as a second adult/caretaker in the house.

[lais-made-up-of-moonlight]

a bit of sunday night venting

[under the cut]

so, i usually try to not expose my deeper family issues online, except maybe some vague stuff and technical terms on DMs once in a while, when explaining why i relate to certain fictional characters

well, here we go

my father sort of has a long-time drinking problem

it's been like this ever since i can remember

and, no need to worry, he is not violent at all

but the situation still inspires a lot of care, like he was a little kid or a middle schooler or something, and has put me from a young age in some type of role reversal in many ways, taking up a responsability that, now, thanks to therapy and also some reading on my own, i know a child shouldn't have

well, every weekend he does his typical binge-drinking

but today he's drank even more than his usual, and that usually correlates with some type of stress he can't voice

and, well, i think that today it happened bc last week, on thursday, he went to the ophthalmologist and the doctor diagnosed him with cataract

yep. cataract

and, sure, it's a treatable illness, usually with prescribed glasses and surgery

but this might still cost us a bit of money, in the case he needs surgery

and, sure, we can also try on the public healthcare system

problem is, the public system is very neglected by the authorities, with one of it's biggest problems being the long time ppl oftenly have to spend on the waiting lists for surgeries

my dad knows a guy that halped him get a surgery for his older sister, so, chances are he might get that for himself as well if the situation demands

but, you know, it's still a very complicated and delicate situation

whenever my dad drinks he oftenly skips meals like lunch or dinner

it's cost so much in terms of the quality of his relationship with my mom and also with me and my big sister

particularly with our mom, she gets so visibly frustrated, and yet never divorced as if she was still waiting for the guy she married to come back

and today has been another one of these very stressful and melancholic weekends, like a sysiphus task or an eternal return or a time loop

except a bit worse this time around, bc one of cataract's risk factors, besides the diabetes that runs in both maternal and paternal sides of my family, alcohol abuse is one of the risk factors

so, he's trying to forget his problems with something that actually just makes them worse in a multitude of ways

and that hurts us all so much...

like i said above, it's been like this since i can remember...

i've built, like, enough emotional tools and strategies when i had the opportunity of the free therapy in the university nearby, so i can sort of get by even without being able to access the therapy now (it seems like the program was dropped, since i have yet to hear from them for months now)

but that is still a bit heavy and hard to deal with at times, and i needed to take that off my chest a bit i guess

anyways...

hopefully tomorrow i'll feel better, and be back to yapping about my blorbos. fingers crossed 🤞🏾

[ptvdrug]

Dizzy and Kylar were childhood friends? Was Dizzy there when Kylar’s parents became monsters and Sydney was forbidden from visiting Kylar’s house?

no theyre not! they met during high school like how any pc normally meets kylar. dizzy is very self-centered, has a bad habit of having tunnel vision, and took care of her twin and robin a lot when they were all younger to the point of being parentified, so he wouldnt have noticed kylar even if they did cross paths as kids. shes a busy girl!