Sunday 29 September 2013

Second Option: Family Role Play

In my earlier posts I mentioned about starting a family by having newborns or toddlers in Second Life. What if, one does not want to have a pixel baby. What if, people are looking for actual people behind the child avatars instead of a bot.

While I was playing imvu, a friend told about adoption agencies. I was wondering if the same concept was in Second Life as well. It had to be. So I started with Google again. (whispers..Lately you will be noticing I am a fan of this search engine.)

Yes, there is another option for starting a family, "role play", which is very popular in the grid. People want to role play as a parent, uncle, aunt, grandfather, grandmother, cousin, in-laws, brother, sister etc. This doesn't need anyone's extra effort of time and money. Two people just meet and decide to rp according to their likes.

However, there are also people who find it difficult to find the right people to start a family. Taking this into consideration there are a number of adoption agencies which provide a link between the to-be child and to-be parent for a nominal charge.
You can search these agencies through the in-world web. I found a few of these that have traffic and active participation.

Adoption Agency:



What are the things to look into when you adopt a child?
I read the following blogs, you may want to go through them for a better perception.
Parental views
Having a family (blog)
Views (community blog)

What is your role as a Parent?
Like our parents in real life, a parent needs to have a home. A large house for your family with furniture related to role playing. One cannot do any adult activity while your children are around. A parent has to find a school and go through the process of admission, learning of their child. A parent can opt for medical check-ups for the family. There are many hospitals in sl. Some parents give pocket money too. However, I would recommend a parent not to be a back account for their child. Be prepared for the time when your child will grow up and lead his/her own life. Its a sad moment for the parent but also a happy one as their children have grown (whispers... This does not mean that they left you.)

This is the list for few renowned schools in Second Life:


Points to be noted:

  • If you and your child are not compatible with each other, be frank and speak your heart out. 
  • As a parent you may find other people who are ready to play a child just for the sake of pocket money.
  • When people meet there will be drama. As we know sl drama is very common. Make mutual prerogatives to handle this. (whispers.. Drama happens in real life too within a family. It all depends on how much you can accept. So, sometimes little bit can be incorporated as role playing.)

What is your role as a Child?
The first thing to remember is you are entering a role playing platform. If you want to rp just for the sake of pocket money or gifts, think again. Few parents would love to pamper you because they love you. Few parents would find it offensive if you ask for expenses (whispers.. depends on your relationship with your parent too). Adults can rp in child avatars too.

Points to be noted:

  • Select a family where you are welcome lovingly and there is active participation.
  • No family is free from sl drama, so see how much is okay for you.
As a blogger, I would suggest, if you are really serious about role playing, you should go through the Adoption Agency. Why? People who are hiring the service and paying respecting panels are shedding lindens. Nobody in second life gives away lindens just for free (whispers..not even tips, the host and dj have to work for it)  Selecting a good agency is important. Check the background and history of the agency. Talk to the owners and ask questions. 

Another important point is, make sure the parent and the child are in the same time zone, else rp doesn't quiet have meaning when either one is not there.

Other than the search tab in-world, go to "sl>community>forum>people forum>roleplays" for agencies.


Having said all the dos and don'ts, enjoy. That is the core of Second Life. Enjoy and have fun!


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