SWNSAt 18-years-old, a person is usually excited to be entering adulthood; enjoying their first legal pints and clubbing until the early hours.
However for Tori Hart from Southern Oregon, life is much different. The fast food restaurant worker lives as an adult baby, babbling in baby speak while wearing big nappies.
While many young women her age may prefer a nice glass of prosecco, Tori drinks from a bottle and even sucks on dummies. Rather than engage in hours of passive aggressive anger like the rest of us, Tori throws genuine toddler tantrums.
Learn more about Tori’s alternative approach to life in the following clip:
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Tori usually behaves like a three-year-old, however her age can range depending on the requirements of the day. Some days she will act and communicate like a one-year-old or even a 10-year-old.
Tori engages in ‘age play’ – specifically Adult Baby Diaper Lovers (ABDL) and Daddy Dom/Little Girl (DDLG)- with her 2,000-plus Instagram followers. Such practices are sometimes linked to BDSM.
Despite these connotations, Tori insists she has no sexual interest in her role-playing, which she instead describes as being ‘soothing and comforting.’
Indeed, there is a truly devastating reason behind Tori’s unusual lifestyle. She claims to have been sexually abused as a child, which effectively took away her chance at having a childhood.
SWNSTori has stated:
It allows me to reclaim my childhood.
The whole idea is submitting yourself to somebody and giving them the power to be in charge of your wellbeing.
She added:
It makes me feel like I get to go through my childhood again and I get to redo everything I didn’t get to do the first time around.
I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression around four years ago and I used to take different medications but nothing was helping. I felt like a zombie.
Then I found the community and the people I love and the thing I love to do. I ended up giving up all the meds.
It has made me stronger, more confident and happier.
SWNSOne of Tori’s friends introduced to the ‘baby play community.’ After discovering an adult baby YouTuber, Tori decided to try out living the lifestyle for herself; and has received support from her friends and family.
Since then, she has splashed out around a few hundred dollars on outfits, nappies and toys to complete her infantile look. This includes onesies which she pairs with shorts while out in public.
Tori has given the following details of her day-to-day life:
I speak in my ‘baby voice’ and if I’m upset I will cry or have a temper tantrum. I also crawl and roll.
I don’t have a parent at the moment so normally I do it by myself after work. I will dress in a onesie or outfit and relax and watch TV.
I use my bottle and eat chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs as well as taking pictures for Instagram.
SWNSShe added:
I also go to bed every night with a pacifier and it helps me to sleep because I have insomnia. One night I went to a friend’s house and I couldn’t sleep without it.
I wear diapers and I do go to the bathroom in them, but only number one.
There are some people who do more but that’s not for me. I don’t like that part of it – it just feels like too much.
Despite not currently being in a relationship, Tori has a babysitter who is bossy with her and even changes her nappy.
The babysitter sometimes punishments her by ordering her to sit in the corner. He will also reward her with sweets and cinema outings.
SWNSTori has spoken out about the misconceptions people have of the adult baby community, which some people view as being associated with pedophiles:
I was worried at the beginning about what people would think. There are a lot of misconceptions and the biggest is that it is pedophilia.
People say it is weird and gross and that it is not right. A lot of people judge and assume the worst.
Despite the stereotypes and the stigma that we are creepy pedophiles, we are not. If you get to know us, we are nice, normal people.
If you still don’t like or accept it, that is fine. But you don’t find me coming around saying, ‘You don’t do this, that is weird.’
I’m just here living my life and doing what I love. I don’t deserve hate.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact Samaritans on their free to call phone number – 116 123.
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.