Adoptive Parent

> "You are my child and my only family, and I promise to be there for you."
>
> ― Adoptive Parent

Male Parent hugging Klaus

The **Adoptive Parent** is the player-controlled protagonist of My Child Lebensborn and My Child New Beginnings. The Parent is never officially seen in the game, allowing the player to self-identify as the adoptive Parent and leaving their name, appearance and gender up to the player's imagination. The Parent serves as the guardian of the Child and has to provide them with guidance and care.

## Gameplay

The Adoptive Parent looks after Klaus or Karin helping them through the most difficult times of their childhood. The player's decision not only affects how the child will feel but also develops a personality and a world view through choices. You as the player need to work to earn money, cook, craft and play with the child in the process of raising them. The player must balance their time and resources to provide for the child. The player can decide to spend more time playing with the child or working overtime to be able to provide better food and make more money.

Recreational activities can cheer up the child and can give them the courage to interact with others, some of the activities include play ball, fishing, painting, picking berries, baking and giving the Child a gift on a special holiday. The player must also tell them stories, sew their clothes and, above all, write letters to help them find the truth about their relatives. You can find answers to the hard questions; about their history, the hatred, bullying and the passing of blame.

If you neglect the child, for example, by not feeding them, the child will run away, resulting in a game over. You can reload your save and continue by fixing what made them run away in the first place.

## History

### My Child Lebensborn

In 1948, the Parent answered an ad in the newspaper advertising that a three-year-old child is up for adoption. They agreed to adopt the Child, promising the Child's mother, Siri Fjellvik, that they would take the child to their village and keep the Child away from her new home.

Due to the stigma associated with adopting a Lebensborn child, the Parent is relieved of their job and seeks new employment at a factory where their family situation goes unquestioned. The Parent also strives to provide food, clothes, and shelter for the Child. For their seventh birthday, the Parent gifts the Child a set of colored pencils, which they use to express their inner thoughts and feelings throughout the course of the story. The Parent keeps a photo album of the Child's drawings, interspersed with photographs of special moments in the Child's life. The Parent also keeps a diary of their thoughts and emotions concerning the Child, along with helpful exposition on historical events.

The Child begins attending the local school. The kids turn on the Child, bullying them because of their parentage, and the Child asks the Parent to find out about their real parents. The Parent reaches out to the Child's mother again, asking for information on the Child's father.

### My Child New Beginnings

The Parent's story will continue in *My Child New Beginnings,* described as an "emotional successor" to the first game, set several decades in the future. The historical context of the Lebensborn backstory will be omitted to provide creative freedom for the setting. Nevertheless, the game's lead writer has confirmed that the Parent and the Child remain the same characters.

## Notes

* While it is never stated in the game and is open to the player's interpretation, it is very likely the adoptive Parent is Norwegian and was born in Norway.
* While the Adoptive Parent is never officially seen in the game, the trailer for MCL does include a frame of Klaus hugging a male Parent. He has brown hair and a dark blue top.
* The Parent claims to have no other family. Which is why they adopt Karin/Klaus.
* The Parent also claims to have no powerful connections in the town, which is why they cannot ask for help with the principal or other higher figures other than the teachers.