Adi🕯️

I was reading through the yellowjackets regression tag and I saw an older post of yours talking about how the caregivers still act like normal teens at time (do homework while looking after the littles) and i would love to read more about that (headcanons, fic or even you just rambling about it which ever you prefer)

I know you get a lot of requests so please don't feel any pressure to write it soon, I'm happy to wait

I also just saw you were recently diagnosed as AuDHD in case you couldn't tell from rambles I myself have ASD, I always enjoy your yellowjackets autism posts so please feel free write autistic Lottie if you want to of course.

Thank you :)

I’ve been meaning to get to this sweet ask for a while!! I’m going to talk about the yellowjackets being teens still for today but adding baby!lottie and baby!nat to my list of things to write because i definitely want to!!

- one of the big things with the yellowjackets is they are still all very young. For the most part when I write them around 18-23 at the most. They also have never had babies to take care of before, and are so unsure of how to do anything.

- like I’ve mentioned before how hard it was to make a bottle for the first time - but diaper changes were another massive struggle at first. Like surely it can’t be that hard? But it took a few tries to get Lottie tapped in properly, and then they couldn’t figure out how often changes should happen, and also there are so many anti-rash products what do they even need? It takes a while but they figure it out after a fair bit of trial and error.

- they are also, even the caregivers, still hormonal and traumatised teenagers. So there are often petty fights and arguments over stupid stuff. Who forgot to hang the laundry out to dry?, oh my god Mari you stole my shirt!, SHAUNA! turn your music down. It’s all harmless stuff really, nothing that a bit of healthy communication can’t sort out, but it can get messy at times.

- it is for the most part though, a lot of giggling and love. They are young! So everyone’s always wanting to do fun things. Regressed Mel doesn’t want to go to bed even it’s way past bedtime? Ok hop in the car bud, let’s go get gas station ice cream. You’re bored? Family game night then - unnecessarily competitive but so fun.

I like to think the big house has a pool in the back. Van loves it. Tai always makes her wear floaties even though she can swim just fine. They also have a baby pool. Nat loves it when Lottie puts it in the shade for her so she doesn’t get too hot and she can watch her siblings play in the big pool without having to get in with them or be seen that much. Baby Lottie also loves it when she is little but sometimes it is a gamble to put her in because sometimes she will refuse to get out and have a meltdown.

Jackie loves when Shauna throws rings in the big pool for her to catch. Sparkly nose goggles are a must for her because she refuses to get water in her eyes. If she does it is an instant meltdown. She also has a hard time getting out of the pool. She has a tantrum when asked to get out, and then once she realizes her skin is all dried and her hair is crunchy and she’s tired she has a meltdown. Usually they can avoid it by setting a timer and making sure she has a snack and nap right after swimming.

Van and Mel loveee making a slip and slide with a tarp. Nat and Misty also love it. They eventually get banned from making one because Van gets hurt.

Shauna loves racing Tai in the pool. And reading by it at night when nobody is out there.

They also have a worm sprinkler that Van and Mel think is so funny. Toddler Nat loves it too. One time Lottie put baby Nat by it though and it got her so spooked.

I absolutely adore this!! Theyd all have so much fun playing in the pool. It’s probably the easiest way to cheer everyone up on a hot day. Instantly the yard is filled with squeals and laughter. Mari is always begging someone to race her in laps, and it can become very competitive. Jackie will get whiny if someone splashes her because it’s a sensory nightmare and always catches her off guard. She does love getting to show off how good she is at swimming though! Mel and Van definitely have competitions to see who can do the best cannonball. Tai usually tries to just sit on the edge but always gets dragged in by someone wanting to play with her.

The baby pool is always a hit too. Little Nat and Lottie have so much fun just splashing around and playing with little toys in it. They could stay in there for hours. Sometimes Nat will wanna go in the big pool even if she’s too small for it, which can make her very frustrated. But Van will sometimes come hang out in the baby pool so Nat thinks it’s cooler.

It would depend who! The littles who use their pacis most are probably Lottie, Nat and Mari. Each of them react very differently. Lottie uses hers the most, she always has to have a paci on her or she’ll end up with her fingers, sleeve, or anything she can reach in her mouth. She’d cry if she lost her paci, simply because she needs the soothing comfort of it. However she is the easiest to soothe because she isn’t fussed by which pacifier she uses, so if they pop a spare in her mouth she’ll settle instantly.

Mari is a different story - she generally keeps the fact she uses a paci on the down low because she’s a bit embarrassed by it. Usually only using it at bed time or around specific people. So if she lost her paci she’d be quietly distraught, wound up and anxious. But she won’t just admit what’s wrong until it all builds up. It’s bed time and she can’t sleep without it. So she goes to Tai and Van’s room and bursts into tears because she’s been keeping it in all day since she woke up and couldn’t find it. Van would hold her gently, and promise it’s ok to need and want her paci. In the meantime Tai would make up a bottle of warm milk. It’s very late and searching Mari’s room for her paci would certainly wake up Akilah. So Mari gets settled in between Tai and Van with a bottle in replacement for her paci, and it soothes her off to sleep. In the morning they’d find it, wedged between Mari’s mattress and her bed frame. Mari would keep it nice and safe in her pocket all day, occasionally reaching for it just to remind herself it’s there.

Feeling sooo small and cranky. Everything feels wrong. Her stomach and ear hurt so bad and she can’t find the words to express that so she just cries and throws herself against Tai.

Tai has to leave for work and Van is distraught. Anytime someone makes a suggestion — “do you want some juice?” “Do you want to watch a movie” it just triggers another meltdown and more tears and more screaming. Laura Lee lets Van cry it out while still snuggling her. Van falls asleep and Laura Lee is able to change her pull up while she’s still groggy. Unfortunately it’s the last dinosaur one in Vans size so she sends Lottie out to get more immediately. Lottie comes back with not only the pull ups but some popsicles for Van and a new toy for being so brave.

Luckily Van sleeps most of the day. She refuses food though and barely drinks her sippy. When Tai comes back the tears start again.