Good Evening Beautiful Friends,
There is a heatwave rolling across California and I am typing this post to you as I sit in front of a massive fan keeping me alive. Yes, the weather is strange and here on the coast we are used to cool days, and heavy marine layer at night. This heat is a stark contrast from our usual weather pattern and in his time of peculiarity I decided to dial back and address a topic that has been on my mind: Age Regressors vs. Cg/l Littles. For some this is a basic lesson and if the topic bores you, I invite you to head on over to the weekly games area and have a look at today’s FREE printable. For the rest of us, let’s dive in together.
I. Age Regression is NOT a kink for some people:
I have been in the lifestyle for years now and since the very beginning it was made clear to me that some people view their regression as a kink while others do not. Okay, fine. But it’s important that we understand why there is such a large division in the community to the point where age regressors do not want to mix with Cg/l littles… even in hashtags! Age regression, for these individuals, is a coping mechanism. They regress to mentally soothe from a trauma, mental illness, or some other form of stress release. (Note: Age regression should never be a substitute for getting professional help from a licensed counselor. There is no shame in seeking help for any and all mental health issues <3 ). Their little space is not sexual in any way. They do not associate their little space as wanting a Caregiver nor wish to label themselves as a part of the Cg/l Community or BDSM in general. For Age regressors the need to regress stems from a place of healing. Regressing allows them to become happy, relaxed, and that feeling of freedom that is associated with childhood. Age regression in this purest form is an excellent tool to help heal psychological trauma that occurred during the formative years of development. There is an excellent article by (fellow WP blogger) Haley who wrote about “Healing Your Inner Child”. I highly recommend you give her page a read as it goes more into depth with different characteristics of Age regressors. The bottom line is that unlike Cg/l littles there are some fundamental differences between age regressors and Cg/l littles to remember:
- Age Regressors (Agere) regress to soothe themselves and use their little space as a defense mechanism or psychological space to heal their inner child. It is solely focused on nurturing their mental well-being.
- Their little space is entirely non-sexual/ SFW.
- There is no power exchange involved and no Caregiver is used. Therefore they do not like to be associated with the Cg/l lifestyle.
- Agere groups may or may not allow minors to be included. However, because age regression for them is exclusively used as a coping mechanism, anyone of any age is welcome to join and therefore minors are welcome to join in the community as well.
II. Cg/l Littles and the Caregiver/little Lifestyle:
Now we come to the other type of regression and that is age regression that involves a legal adult who regresses to a younger age to experience some form of little space. Their little space may or may not be sexual. (I have met plenty of littles who are both SFW and NSFW littles). Some littles are a part of the Cg/l Community but have no desire for a Caregiver. Instead they enjoy other aspects of regression that allow them to feel happy and small. Other littles do want a Caregiver, or have one already. In a Cg/l relationship there is some form of guidance and power exchanged. For many littles this means assuming the role of submissive and their Caregiver is the dominant role. The dominant provides rules, loving guidance, tender support, and a need to care for their little one. This nurtures and fulfills the little’s desires to be cared for by another trusting individual. Some littles assume the dominant role and the Caregiver plays an active role as giving care, but not making decisions in the relationship dynamic. How power is exchanged varies widely with every couple. The bottom line: In the Cg/l lifestyle there are a few aspects that set it apart from age regressors:
- We are an 18+ community and this lifestyle is a kink. Most (if not all) Cg/l groups do not support minors taking part in activities because we view our lifestyle as a branch of Domination/submission, which is a part of BDSM, and is inherently a sexual lifestyle (regardless if your little space is sexual or not).
- Adult littles regress for a multitude of reasons! For some it’s a kink that brings pleasure and arousal. For others it’s a way to mentally decompress. Other littles want to feel the nostalgia of their childhood. The list goes on and on.
- If an adult little connects with a Caregiver or Dominant there is some level of power exchanged between both parties.
- Adult littles may have a SFW or NSFW little space. Both are acceptable and as a community we encourage every little to be authentic and stay true to regress in whatever way feels best for you! (That rhymed… hehe!).
III. But if both types of people regress in age… can’t it just be one big community of regressors?
I wish! For the longest time I honestly wished that we could be one, giant kumbaya community of age regressors. But alas, that is not the case. The reason being is that the core differences of why an agere person and a Cg/l little regresses are so entirely different that they do not want to associate with one another. One is exclusively for psychological well-being and mental health healing, while the other is a lifestyle practice and (optionally) a relationship dynamic. Yes, both regress to a younger age. Yes, both play with toys, watch shows, eat snacks, and enjoy stuffed animals. But sadly that is where the similarities end. So, it’s best to bear in mind that there are two communities of age regression, both are valid and that’s okay.
Here are a few tips to remember as you navigate the community moving forward:
- Don’t mix up your hashtags. Trust me, been there and accidentally done that. They get pissed and will happily message you even if your content has nothing to do with Caregivers or Dominants. If you are in the Cg/l lifestyle, just avoid the #ageregression or #agere hashtags.
- Understand that there are two types of age regression communities: There are age regressors, who use their regression as a coping mechanism and there is the Cg/l community. They never mix.
- Within the Cg/l lifestyle there are SFW Littles and NSFW Littles. Cglre is one group within the lifestyle that are completely SFW/non-sexual. This is a subset of the Cg/l community that has splintered off because they do not view their lifestyle or little space as a kink. Cg/l is the other main tag and can include littles who are nsfw or sfw but who do view their little space as a kink.
Alright my friends, that’s it from me for this post. I hope you all enjoyed it. If you did, hit that like button and let me know. Smash that follow button if you’re new around here, and I will see you back here for the next topic!
Much love,
~Penny x