Didn't really think about this before, but once one of my characters adopted, I realized that child can't be left alone! Not with bandits and dragons about! So, who do I leave for child care when I go dungeon delving?

Well, for now I have to leave Lydia behind. Yeah, she's a great fighter, but right now, I just need her to be a nanny.

Who do you use for babysitting? Or do you?

Your choices...
1. Housecarl
2. Steward
3. Spouse
4. Wagoner
5. Bard

If you're in a city, you have fewer choices, but it's safer.

Hey, if Beth wants me to leave a kid running around a house full of weapons, potions, alcohol, trophies, spell tomes, magic staffs, a fighting dog and an open fireplace, I'm more than happy to oblige them...oh, that's right, Breezehome ctd problem. Probably just as well the kid was left in the tavern.

It might be a 'warm and fuzzy' idea, but it certainly falls short on the 'good parenting' front...there is no consequence for not accepting the responsibility of an in-game adoption, such as getting locked up or severely fined for doing something like in my throw away line above.

currently my steward, my bard, husband and followers I leave at the house (using the UFO mod) watch the girls when I'm gone. The girls both have superior/echanted wooden swords. Lets just see bandits try something. Worst mistake they will ever make.

I prefer to go adventuring alone so my wife (my former housecarl from Solitude), my current housecarl, my steward (one of my Dawnguard buddies), bard, carriage driver and pet dog (Bran) are all around to look after my kids. Not that they need to be looked after. My girls have enchanted flawless Dragonbone daggers so good luck to bandits & even giants!

And in the unlikely event that we need to split, my wife, the girls, the bard & the dog can bundle onto the carriage with me on Arvark, the housecarl on Shadowmere and the steward on the horse. LOL!!!

My kids were old enough to fend for themselves. After all, I gave them each a daedric dagger of frost to protect themselves.

But even more to the point, children in Skyrim are immortal until they turn 18.

I leave Lydia with them at my Lakeview home. Also I modded in a large wall around the entire property, so it feels and is much safer for them to play outside.

Most of these kids are about 9-11 years old. Kids that age can be taught to leave certain things alone.

Well i figured since they were living alone out on the street before i adopted them, they could stay home by themselves just fine. But usually either my husband Vilkas is home, or my stewards Lydia or Jordis (depending on where im living) as well as my housecarls. Right now they're home by themselves in Whiterun, as Vilkas and I are running around *i feel bad for leaving him home alone alot* and so far they've not burned down the house or got thrown in jail, so they're alright Oh and Meeko is with them.

These kids made it for a while on the street, so I guess they have the sense not to eat too much nightshade out of the garden. Plus they’re handy with a blade. I figure the bard is there to provide education as well as entertainment, so between the Housecarl, bard, steward, chores, fighting off intruders, and hunting for undead in the swamp the kids will pretty much stay out of trouble. Plus their mom told the carriage driver no joy riding. I guess they’re covered.

Truth is, most of my characters plan on marrying when they start their families, assuming they get the chance.
My Nord Alchemist intends to retire to her homestead.
My Imperial warrior fights alone, so he'll have a wife and housecarl to look after the young 'uns. Probably a bard, too.
My Dunmer battlemage married a non-combatant, and lives in Solitude. She'll spend most of her time at the Blue Palace and the Bard's College anyway.
And my Khajiit vampire assassin doesn't plan to adopt. Unless Aventus becomes available, and he's pretty self-sufficient.

And my Redguard is a DiD character, in other words he's fertilizer waiting to happen. So domesticity in any regard is off the table for him.

Oh yeah, look out giants and bandits! Those kids are not only going to trip over each other and everything else as they flee in terror from their own shadow and just about anything else (including their own pet rabbit or fox after they've had Fury cast on them...), but...for the coup de grace? They'll strike terror into the hearts of all as they say utterly ridiculous things like "Last warning! You're pushing your luck! Once more and I'm going to have to kill you!"

Yes, I've witnessed all of the above, even when they had super bad ass, hyper-smithed and enchanted Daedric/Dragonbone daggers (I even made wooden swords that dish out 416 damage and cost $420!!!!). Cast fury on one of their pets or watch them during a Skeever infestation. It's too hilarious.

More realistic, they discharges the summon fire elemental staff because it fire elemental look cool.
Eat all the giant toes in the ingredient container as you told them not to.
Perhaps disenchant some collector item weapons or armor.

So far my kid has
1) just one book in her chest: The true nature of orcs who is a racist book.
2) found some other strange items like an grand soul gem she gave to me.
3) then I told her to do her chores she went and lay down on her bed.
Looks very realistic to me.

You don't need child care when they marked Essential

It would be nice to be able to add a Nanny to the house.

Can we pick the nanny or is it au-pair?
As for the kids they need little caring as such they are as tough as old boots lol

One of my characters adopted kids so that they would look after her husband Torvar. In retrospect it may have been a mistake to put that man in a house with mead barrels.

I often come home to find Lydia and Farkas stumbling around the place drunk. At first it was weird but now its funny.

Oh, boy! Mead and Skooma party!

Better send the kids to bed first, though.

Yep! After all, hearing one's parents and their friends doing anything from getting way too drunk and high, then talking really loud about ridiculous, inappropriate topics to having a free-for-all Roman orgy (with terrible music from the 70s blaring in the background, of course...) is so much less traumatic for a child around that age if it's experienced while hiding, desperately, under the covers and trying not to move to avoid having to talk to a drunk, if not drunk and naked grown-up...

Which brings to mind a pretty damned profound question: to put the kids to bed or just throw out pretenses of being responsible and let them witness you being an idiot?

But the kids never actually grow up:O

Well I just started building my house in the pale, so far I have Illia as my steward and I plan to go fetch Gregor and then move in my wife Mjoll (I think my home will be safe with that). After my house is completed I will hire a bard and pick up the kids.

Am I the only one here who's watched Mad Men or -- gasp! -- was a kid in the eighties? None of the neglect described on this thread really holds a candle to what used to be responsible parenting when I was in grade school! I mean, at least ya can't raise your kids in a cloud of second hand smoke you can barely see through, or non-chalantly drive the kids around with a 16 oz can of cheap beer in your lap!

Or drive around with five kids in the back of a station wagon, none of them wearing seat belts, and a 7-year-old riding shotgun. Hell, in Mississippi, where I spent a number of years, I got to ride around in the back of a pickup truck a few times.

It was loads of fun.

I'm a cop...no they can't.

I should clarify: Yes, they can...but a percentage of them will try to find out what happens in a handgun when you pull the trigger; How fast you can drive a stolen car; What various chemicals taste like; etc.

How dare you bring my nephew up like that!

Seriously, when he hit that age (he's going to be 17 pretty soon) he could not leave matches, lighters, or anything remotely flammable alone, and I'm pretty sure that he had some kind of superhero-like ability to smell and track them...(thankfully he never got curious about stealing cars...or if he did, he had the courtesy to hide it really, really well...)