A DDLG relationship is one of the BDSM-related roleplay fantasies. BDSM is an abbreviation for Bondage Discipline (or dominance), Sadism, and Masochism.
But what exactly does DD, DDLG, or DD/LG even mean? Better still, what kind of relationship is DDLG?
This article answers all these questions to give you a better understanding of the dynamics of DDLG relationships.
It covers the meaning of DD and LG in DDLG and explains how these relationships work. It also answers if DDLG relationships are common and whether they can be non-sexual.
Keep reading to learn all these and more.
Understanding DDLG Relationships
DDLG, otherwise stylized as DD/LG or DDlg, is a branch in the huge BDSM tree. It, therefore, involves power exchange where one person is active and the other receptive.
The active person assumes the role of a caregiver, while the receptive takes the role of a child, usually a little girl.
Often, the active person is the male, while the receptive is the female. However, the dynamics can change in other variations of DDLG (which we’ll discuss later).
The two common roles in DDLG are “age regression” and “age play.”
- Age regression refers to a mental phenomenon where the person roleplaying a certain age not only acts that age but also feels like they were that age. It might be due to childhood traumas.
- Age play is when practitioners act a certain age for sexual pleasure or just fun, e.g., an adult acting like a child.
While DDLG is often a roleplay fantasy in the bedroom, some people incorporate it into their daily lives. According to The Journal of Sex Research 2020, more than 87% engage in roleplay scenarios, DDLG being one of them.
There are also non-sexual DDLG relationships. We’ll cover more of this later. But first, let’s cover the definition of DD and LG for a better understanding.
What is a DD in a DDLG Relationship?
DD means daddy dom, and dom is short for dominant. So, the daddy in DDLG takes the dominant role and is often the active person.
Some of his roles and duties include:
- Punishing
- Rewarding
- Setting rules
- Being authoritative in ways that reflect they want the best for the child
The above duties reflect a daddy who assumes a dominant role. However, some assume the role of a caregiver, meaning they don’t dominate the roleplaying child but nurture them.
As such, the duties of a caregiver would include the following:
- Caring
- Offering protection
- Showering the little one with love
- Teaching
These are just some of the common duties to give you an idea of the whole thing. These duties depend on the relationship’s dynamics (how relaxed or strict).
And the dynamics are discussed by the parties involved, the daddy dom and the person assuming the role of a child.
Meaning of LG in a DDLG relationship
On the other hand, LG means little girl and is the receptive person in a DDLG relationship or roleplay scenario.
However, this doesn’t mean an LG is a child. Instead, she is an adult of legal age who regresses their age to that of a child (between 0-17 years).
For example, she would be a 25-year-old who acts as a 7-year-old girl. As such, she will dress like a little girl and act the regressed age.
The female playing the role of a little girl embraces her inner child, and sometimes they never outgrew it in the first place, no matter how old they are.
Just like a little girl, depending on the regressed age, the little one craves attention and needs to be cared for and looked after. She, therefore, gives Daddy Dom control over her.
Generally, she is submissive but may choose to be bossy depending on the dynamics of the relationship.
Depending on the age she regresses to, she can dress like a little girl. For example, if she assumes the age of a 7-year-old, she can dress in cute little pink dresses, tie her hair in little girls’ hairstyles, and generally wear any accessories or clothes a seven-year-old girl would wear.
And if they regress to an infant age, say newborn, one or six months, she can wear diapers, pacifiers, and adult onesies just to portray infancy.
But in such a case, this changes to another variation of DDLG, ABDL, short for Adult Baby, Diaper Lover. The adult baby plays the role of a helpless baby while the diaper lover enjoys caring for the baby, particularly changing the diaper and clothes.
How Does a DDLG Relationship Work?
The daddy dom assumes the role of a caregiver to the age-regressed little girl. He also dominates in roleplaying, so he may discipline the little one.
As a caregiver, the daddy dom assumes the role of a parental figure, so the little girl refers to him as daddy and expects him to protect her.
The active male in a DDLG can either assume the role of a dominant stern father figure or a softcore caring father figure.
While some people assume one role and stick to it the whole time, others prefer switching to a caregiver or dominant whenever necessary. Such a person is called a switch in BDSM because they like to switch roles.
Caregivers are expected to be soft and nurturers, so they will roleplay a nurturing father figure showering the little girl with love, changing their clothes or even diapers if the little one regresses to a diaper-wearing age. Let’s say 6 months old. Remember, she can regress to any age, from zero months to a 17-year-old girl.
It’s worth noting that the dom and little girl can switch roles where the little one becomes the active person. In such a scenario, she assumes the role of a “princess” or “brat.”
Those who criticize DDLG for lack of understanding associate it with pedophilia and incest, however, DDLG is NOT a sexual relationship between a young daughter and her father.
Parties involved in these age-play fantasies are adults of legal age consenting to the relationship or roleplay scenario.
So though the male assumes the role of a caring father figure to the little one, they are not related by blood to the little one assuming the role of a little girl.
DDLG is often a sexual fantasy played in the bedroom, the daddy dom finds pleasure in taking control over the little one, while the little girl finds pleasure in being controlled and taken care of.
Depending on the dynamics of the relationship or roleplaying, the scene may be hardcore (often like in BDSM) or kinky, whereas in the fantasy, the girl can be bratty, and the dom punishes her, leading to erotic foreplay.
Common rules in DDLG
For a DDLG roleplay or relationship to be successful, rules are set. The common ones include:
- Use of safewords mainly to protect the little one in extreme situations like punishments
- Clearly defining which role practitioners will be playing and whether they can switch
- Duties of each practitioner
- Types of punishments and rewards
- Accessories to be used in roleplaying
- Aftercare, what to do after a roleplay scene
DDLG variations
As I mentioned, there are different variations of DDLG. We’ve covered one, ABDL, but there are numerous others. Some include:
- DDLB- Daddy Dom Little Boy
- MDLB- Mommy Dom Little Boy
- MDLG- Mommy Dom Little Girl
- TMLB- Trans Mommy Little Boy
- TDLG- Trans Daddy Little Girl
You will notice that age and gender are responsible for the variations. For example, the dominant would be a female and the submissive a male creating an MDLB.
It narrows down to what role practitioners find pleasure in playing.
Are DDLG Relationships Common?
DDLG is usually practiced in private. As such, it’s hard to say whether such relationships are common.
However, a study by The Journal of Sex revealed 87% practiced at least 1 of 10 role plays.
According to the same study, 53.83% of participants would engage in age regression, an aspect of DDLG.
14.60% prefer being dominant, while 29.62% would assume any role, active or receptive. 35.40% would prefer to watch a DDLG scene in action.
These results reveal that DDLG is pretty common. So though it is practiced behind closed doors, it’s a living fantasy.
Can a DDLG Relationship be Non-sexual?
It can. Not all DDLG relationships are sexual. Some people assume the role of a caregiver, while others assume that of a little to heal traumas.
You heard me right; to some, DDLG is a healing therapy. Think of this scenario: a seven-year-old girl grows into a twenty-five-year-old woman without a father.
So she craves the attention of a father figure in her life, leading to severe mental and emotional issues.
Though it may sound weird to some, such a person would actually heal from roleplaying DDLG. In such a case, she would assume the role of a little one of seven years and experience the affection, protection, and attention she would have experienced from a father figure.
However, for such therapy to work, she would need a male caregiver willing to assume the perfect role of her dad. The best person would be a male who lost a young daughter (almost the age of the person regressing).
You expect the man would miss the lost daughter, and offering attention, love, and care to a little one would also help them heal.
So practitioners would engage in age regression where they not only act but also feel their age.
Final Thoughts
As an aspect of BDSM, DDLG involves the exchange of power and care. Most people practice it as a sexual fantasy in the bedroom, but it can also be used as a healing therapy to heal life-specific traumas.
There are different forums of DDLG on the internet, and anyone willing to join can get help from those who actually live it. Seeking guidance from those with personal experience can be beneficial in taking the first steps towards exploring DDLG.
