aB vs Little?

Hi,
I so I'm trying to figure out where I fit and I got a bit confused on terms logo and all so I looked for a threD on it but I couldn't find one this so I thought I might ask I hope that's ok,

I think I have a pretty good idea what an adult baby is, but I'm less sure about what a little is, could someone please clearify that?

How would you define an AB and how would you define a little?

What is the difference between the two? Is there on?

If so how do you figure out or know wich one you are?

Thank you im sorry these are so direct or come off as rude, I'm not meaning to offend any one if I do im really really sorry,

Although I am also new to this, my understanding is that an AB is a type of Little that is focused on "baby" age. Someone who pictures themselves as slightly older might more accurately be called an Adult Toddler. Even older might be an Adult Kid. "Little" is a general term that includes all of these things.

Some people also use the term AB in a more general sense to include all of these as well.

I hope this is helpful. Keep in mind that labels are not the most important thing. Being comfortable with your true self is where it is at. Hopefully these forums can help you with accomplishing that.

In general, Adult Babies and Littles are just labels for a strong desire to behave at an early age, typically with the clothing, props and toys of an infant or toddler. The older more academic term is infantilists. See http://understanding.infantilism.org/

Some people might see Littles or Age Players engaging in this activity purely for sexual pleasure whereas Adult Babies doing it for emotional security. I personally think there are as many variations of Adult Babies as there are Adult Babies. Some may be motivated for sexual reasons, some purely emotional and others both. For that reason I think the terms Adult Baby and Little are synonymous. These are just labels for a wide range or behaviors, which some are comfortable with and others are not.

Sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably, but some people within our community differentiate the terms by using 'Little' for anyone who identifies their 'little age' as, say, 2+ years old and 'Adult Baby' for those who generally enjoy activities, behaviours and accessories that young toddlers and/or infants would.

Well for me, the definition of a Little is someone who has a childish personality that they can't block out or make go away. Like a kind of split personality but they're still the same person. If that even makes sense. That's how I tried to explain it anyways.

Thank you this pretty much makes sense, I sort of range, I love sippy cups, pacifiers, infant toys, I also tend to be into older kid stuff too amd I go back and forth on the diapers, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about them , I think I will. Like them a lot more when I loose some weight, as finding ones that fit at my current weight is pretty challenging, one day I hope to fit into 7t pull upa, but over all I perfer a sort of mix of things

The reason I asked during registration it asked you to select from a list and adult baby and little we're seperate so I wasn't sure which so I pcked both.

SilentlySpeaking said:

Thank you this pretty much makes sense, I sort of range, I love sippy cups, pacifiers, infant toys, I also tend to be into older kid stuff too amd I go back and forth on the diapers, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about them , I think I will. Like them a lot more when I loose some weight, as finding ones that fit at my current weight is pretty challenging, one day I hope to fit into 7t pull upa, but over all I perfer a sort of mix of things

The reason I asked during registration it asked you to select from a list and adult baby and little we're seperate so I wasn't sure which so I pcked both.

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I think some AB's are Littles too so it's not too far in-between I think. But don't take my word for it. XS

I call myself an AB and a little, as the age I identify with is close to 7, but I enjoy using baby items.

I'll admit: I mostly see "Little" as a vain attempt to dodge some perceived AB/DL stigma or stereotype. At best, it's splitting hairs. When asked what our age-play ages are, it seems most of the ABs among us actually prefer to be toddlers or late-training "kids." So the B in AB is, in practice, quite a few things; it doesn't really mean Baby.


Similarly, a bunch of DLs here will claim no sexual affinity for diapers at all, so what's the L stand for? Who cares. A DL is somebody who wears diapers for pleasure. Do we need another term? We do not.

Community happens when people find the things they have in common, not when they highlight and label trivial differences.

Cottontail said:

I'll admit: I mostly see "Little" as a vain attempt to dodge some perceived AB/DL stigma or stereotype. At best, it's splitting hairs. When asked what our age-play ages are, it seems most of the ABs among us actually prefer to be toddlers or late-training "kids." So the B in AB is, in practice, quite a few things; it doesn't really mean Baby.

Similarly, a bunch of DLs here will claim no sexual affinity for diapers at all, so what's the L stand for? Who cares. A DL is somebody who wears diapers for pleasure. Do we need another term? We do not.

Community happens when people find the things they have in common, not when they highlight and label trivial differences.

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I. Sorry I didn't mean to cause a divide or upset anyone I was mostly just confused because registration had them as seperat options so I thought that meant their might debt a difference or things the community chose to veiw as diffrent segments, I'm really sorry

Cottontail said:

I'll admit: I mostly see "Little" as a vain attempt to dodge some perceived AB/DL stigma or stereotype. At best, it's splitting hairs. When asked what our age-play ages are, it seems most of the ABs among us actually prefer to be toddlers or late-training "kids." So the B in AB is, in practice, quite a few things; it doesn't really mean Baby.


Similarly, a bunch of DLs here will claim no sexual affinity for diapers at all, so what's the L stand for? Who cares. A DL is somebody who wears diapers for pleasure. Do we need another term? We do not.

Community happens when people find the things they have in common, not when they highlight and label trivial differences.

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I do disagree with this. Probably not a shocker seeing as how my only current Label is "Little".

Little isn't just an ADISC term, it's a term that's becoming pretty common within the AB/DL community along with Adult Kid. For starters I think just the prevalence for the title is obvious that the title is fulfilling a need. There is a reason for instance, that Diaper Lover exists as a separate title from Adult Baby. Because being called an Adult Baby doesn't describe what a Diaper Lover is. Little came to being because there was enough people who were feeling that Adult Baby didn't describe what they were experiencing.

The thing is, Lover stands for Lover. Words mean things and have definitions. This isn't a stigma or stereotype. You can love something in a non-sexual way. That title doesn't contain a word that is incorrect and/or misleading about your experiences within the community. A non-sexual DL needing a new title would be an unnecessary term because the term Diaper Lover accurately describes them as well.

Adult Baby is honestly just an awful term for a 'umbrella term'. It can't just be spun in that way to describe all forms of regressive roleplaying or child-like behaviors and mannerisms in adults because it's by it's nature a very specific term. It describes a type of this and not the overall experience. Baby" isn't a stigma or a stereotype, it's a very specific stage in life that many Little's involve NO aspect of in their own lifestyle's/play. For a Little, being referred to as a Adult Baby is incorrect a completely different way then the compared "non-sexual Diaper Lover" unless you consider Baby to be an effective description for.. everyone under the age of 13. Is there any arguing that a child the age of 1 and a child the age of 7 are not completely different?

So yeah, with the way terms currently are now there is a need for these two different terms. Call it a lack of foresight about this problem. Implying otherwise feels to me like saying DL's should just stop calling themselves DL's because we should be focusing on our similarities. Obviously there is overlap between Adult Baby and Little's which is where I think this is coming from, but there is overlap between AB's and DL's too!

If anything I think the discussion that could be had is if AB's should just convert to calling themselves Little's. Little's seem like a great way to describe both Adult Baby's and Adult Kid's. They both at least are 'little' and almost all of this play tends to involve a "little-ing". However I don't see this as happening thanks to Little just being used to refer to as "Little Kid" thanks to AB's popularity and all this mess.

SilentlySpeaking said:

Hi,
I so I'm trying to figure out where I fit and I got a bit confused on terms logo and all so I looked for a threD on it but I couldn't find one this so I thought I might ask I hope that's ok,

I think I have a pretty good idea what an adult baby is, but I'm less sure about what a little is, could someone please clearify that?

How would you define an AB and how would you define a little?

What is the difference between the two? Is there on?

If so how do you figure out or know wich one you are?

Thank you im sorry these are so direct or come off as rude, I'm not meaning to offend any one if I do im really really sorry,

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Hello SilentlySpeaking,
Personally for me the difference between being an adult baby (ab) & a Little is an adult baby usually is innocent in its form of play where a Little (who is usually older than a baby) can be more sexually orientated. This isn't always the case as it depends entirely on the individual/ or individuals involved in play.
You usually figure out where you fit by simply researching different topics that stimulate you, exploring & discovering your inner child, within. Allowing yourself to play & have fun, just like when you were younger. Eventually you will come to identify where you fit in the whole Ab/dl scheme of things. And you may also come to know that its ok to be uniquely you without having to fit any category society wants to box you in. Enjoy your inner journey SilentlySpeaking :hugs:

GoldenHoneyMummy said:

Hello SilentlySpeaking,
Personally for me the difference between being an adult baby (ab) & a Little is an adult baby usually is innocent in its form of play where a Little (who is usually older than a baby) can be more sexually orientated.

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Really disagree with this too. Adult Baby play can just be as sexually oriented as Little/Adult Kid play, there isn't anything more inherently more innocent about either one.

gigglemuffinz said:

Really disagree with this too. Adult Baby play can just be as sexually oriented as Little/Adult Kid play, there isn't anything more inherently more innocent about either one.

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Yes, I'm with you. I have both listed, but I am definitely NOT sexually oriented when I play... matter of fact when I'm little I can't even think of sex at all.

JewelSparkles said:

gigglemuffinz said:

Really disagree with this too. Adult Baby play can just be as sexually oriented as Little/Adult Kid play, there isn't anything more inherently more innocent about either one.

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Yes, I'm with you. I have both listed, but I am definitely NOT sexually oriented when I play... matter of fact when I'm little I can't even think of sex at all.

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+1 here. It always varies from person to person, but there is a non-sexual "Adult Baby" headspace I go into, separate from any other part of me. My AB/Little/BabyFur headspace is about being safe and innocent. Even hearing curse words can pop that bubble for me.

Okay, wow, um, yeah. Dare I get my feet wet with this conversation? First of all, SilentlySpeaking, honey, no one's yelling, and, some of us may just be offended by a lack of proper representation. It's not your fault.

To my mind, Little is the umbrella term. Every AB is a Little, because babies are little, but not every Little is an AB, because some of us are toddlers, pre-schoolers, or older older kids. I think older kids may even use the term, "Middle." Age identity and diapers or training pants don't always go together either. For some, they are important to the experience; to others, they aren't. That's okay!

I have AB & Little on my profile, so no matter whose standards people use, they know where I fit. In ancient Israel, the end of babyhood was defined by weaning, and children weren't weaned 'til 3 or 4 years old. By that standard, I'm an AB. Most people would call me toddler age though, as I identify between 1 1/2 - 3 years old. I am, however, a tad precocious, and modest, so, my clothing style is very, "Doc McStuffins." I love her! I'd need leggings for skirts shorter than knee-length, and would love a pair of pink, purple, and yellow sparkly sneakers that light up when I step. I need, need need to get someaci:s, & would pay Big $ for a bottle designed to make my hands, and thus the rest of me, feel small. I'm thinking of using http://toybuilders.com to make my bottle, a to-scale teether/mirror combo, a high-capacity, girly water gun and a girly crossbow with arrows that can be wheelchair mounted & operated with one hand. I adore Schoolhouse Rock! See how, "all over the map," I am? It's about how you feel. knowing your age range may help you and those who interact with you while you're in that (insert age range here) headspace, but don't worry over it.

SilentlySpeaking said:

I. Sorry I didn't mean to cause a divide or upset anyone

I was mostly just confused because registration had them as seperat options so I thought that meant their might debt a difference or things the community chose to veiw as diffrent segments, I'm really sorry

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SilentlySpeaking, you shouldn't feel bad at all. Your question is a good one. As you can see from this thread, we have people labeling themselves "Little" because it seems all-inclusive, we have people labeling themselves "Little" because it doesn't mean "Baby," etc. It's confusing. I regret seeming to be upset with any individual. I am only irritated that we have this label, which, in my opinion, is more trouble than it's worth.

gigglemuffinz said:

Adult Baby is honestly just an awful term for a 'umbrella term'. It can't just be spun in that way to describe all forms of regressive roleplaying or child-like behaviors and mannerisms in adults because it's by it's nature a very specific term. It describes a type of this and not the overall experience. Baby" isn't a stigma or a stereotype, it's a very specific stage in life that many Little's involve NO aspect of in their own lifestyle's/play. For a Little, being referred to as a Adult Baby is incorrect a completely different way then the compared "non-sexual Diaper Lover" unless you consider Baby to be an effective description for.. everyone under the age of 13. Is there any arguing that a child the age of 1 and a child the age of 7 are not completely different?

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I do agree that "AB" is a less versatile term than "Little," absolutely. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say. When terms like "AB" and "DL" were created, it was obviously not anticipated that each of these would become a sort of spectrum unto itself, and that these spectra might not stretch far enough in any particular direction. Unfortunately, introducing new umbrella terms is problematic -- nigh impossible, really. "Little" is massively ambiguous, and I do believe that ambiguity is mostly unhelpful. "Little" can variously be interpreted as "I'm not an AB," or "I'm a bunch of things, including AB." It could even include parts of "DL." From that angle, assuming the label of "Little" is almost not saying anything. Does somebody describing a combination of behaviors need to include "AB" together with "Little," or does "Little" -- a more inclusive term when interpreted literally -- forever imply exclusivity of "Baby"? It's just kind of a mess.

I'm not saying there aren't age-players and others among us for whom the label "AB" doesn't work. I'm questioning the cost/benefit of bringing in new labels, particularly labels that can't really be taken at face value without diminishing or distorting labels already in widespread use, probably by the vast, vast majority.

Lastly, I apologize for any offense, gigglemuffinz. I understand that we are all trying to color ourselves accurately here, and the number of crayons provided is less than ideal. My original post was more a reflection of my feelings about the label itself. It's probably impossible to challenge a label without seeming to challenge those who've adopted it, but my language was rather confrontational and accusatory.

EDIT: I suppose I have less of an issue with "Adult Kid" as a label simply because it's fairly unambiguous next to "Little."

Cottontail said:

SilentlySpeaking, you shouldn't feel bad at all. Your question is a good one. As you can see from this thread, we have people labeling themselves "Little" because it seems all-inclusive, we have people labeling themselves "Little" because it doesn't mean "Baby," etc. It's confusing. I regret seeming to be upset with any individual. I am only irritated that we have this label, which, in my opinion, is more trouble than it's worth.



I do agree that "AB" is a less versatile term than "Little," absolutely. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say. When terms like "AB" and "DL" were created, it was obviously not anticipated that each of these would become a sort of spectrum unto itself, and that these spectra might not stretch far enough in any particular direction. Unfortunately, introducing new umbrella terms is problematic -- nigh impossible, really. "Little" is massively ambiguous, and I do believe that ambiguity is mostly unhelpful. "Little" can variously be interpreted as "I'm not an AB," or "I'm a bunch of things, including AB." It could even include parts of "DL." From that angle, assuming the label of "Little" is almost not saying anything. Does somebody describing a combination of behaviors need to include "AB" together with "Little," or does "Little" -- a more inclusive term when interpreted literally -- forever imply exclusivity of "Baby"? It's just kind of a mess.

I'm not saying there aren't age-players and others among us for whom the label "AB" doesn't work. I'm questioning the cost/benefit of bringing in new labels, particularly labels that can't really be taken at face value without diminishing or distorting labels already in widespread use, probably by the vast, vast majority.

Lastly, I apologize for any offense, gigglemuffinz. I understand that we are all trying to color ourselves accurately here, and the number of crayons provided is less than ideal. My original post was more a reflection of my feelings about the label itself. It's probably impossible to challenge a label without seeming to challenge those who've adopted it, but my language was rather confrontational and accusatory.

EDIT: I suppose I have less of an issue with "Adult Kid" as a label simply because it's fairly unambiguous next to "Little."

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I'm with glgglemuffinz on this issue too.

We NEED the term "little". Simply put, I call myself an AB and a Little, but I honestly have a huge issue calling myself an AB to begin with. I like using baby items, which is the only reason why I have "AB" listed at all. My little age is around 7. That's not "baby age".

Not to mention, there are those of us in DD/lg or similar relationships, where "little" has ALWAYS existed as a term.

And I don't really agree with you, it isn't a mess at all, you're probably just really over-examining it when it doesn't need to be.

JewelSparkles said:

...it isn't a mess at all, you're probably just really over-examining it when it doesn't need to be.

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I respect your opinion, and would merely offer as counterevidence about half the posts on this thread. People are expressing confusion about the term, stating that it's an umbrella term, that it's just a synonym for AB, that it's not a synonym for AB, but refers instead to older ageplay ages, etc. The mere existence of the thread is evidence that the term's meaning and usefulness are non-obvious. Are you saying that, to you, Little means non-baby kid? Because, taken literally, that's not what "little" means. And if Little is an umbrella term -- do we really need it? Doesn't that make an enormous number of us Littles? And if it does, how does it really help form identities?

To quote Syndrome from Disney's The Incredibles: When everyone is Super, no one will be.

JewelSparkles said:

Not to mention, there are those of us in DD/lg or similar relationships, where "little" has ALWAYS existed as a term.

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Understood, but not really relevant. "Little" is an obvious relative term in that context, where roles are pretty much a binary thing; you're either the little or you're not.

Sorry but I would much rather use a more inclusive term than call myself something I'm not.