Age regression is a practice where an adult mentally shifts into a younger, childlike state, often as a way to relax, process emotions, or experience comfort and care. It can be purely psychological, roleplay-based, or a mix of both, and it does not mean the person actually believes they are a child.
People are drawn to age regression for many reasons: it can offer a break from adult stress, a safe outlet for vulnerability, or a structured way to receive nurturing attention. In kink and BDSM settings, it often overlaps with caregiver and little dynamics, where one partner takes a guiding or protective role while the other inhabits a younger headspace.
Worth knowing: Because age regression can involve intense emotional vulnerability, clear communication about boundaries, consent, and aftercare is essential, and partners should agree on how to handle any distress that comes up during or after a session.
Also called: little space, age play, caregiver and little, middles, regression play, therapeutic regression, voluntary regression
