Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – How to Adopt Children and Start a Family

Adoption is a feature included in the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim through the Hearthfire expansion pack. In Hearthfire, which comes with every purchase of the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, players can adopt children and start a family. In this article, we will tell you how to start a family, as well as go over all of the pre-requisites you’ll need to meet before you can adopt a child.

How to Adopt a Child in Skyrim

Before you can adopt a child in the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Remastered, you’ll need to meet a few requirements. First off, you must always have a room available in one of your houses for the child to sleep and store their possessions. Second, you must complete the quest, Innocence Lost, which is part of the path you must take if you wish to learn how to join the Dark Brotherhood. Once Grelod the Kind has been disposed of, the player character will receive a letter from Constance Michel stating that she is now in charge of the Honorfall Orphanage in Riften, and asks if the player wishes to adopt a child into his or her family.

To make sure you have room for a child in your house, purchase a Children’s Bedroom and have it placed somewhere in a house of your choosing. Because children can be attacked and even killed by your enemies, we suggest having their bedrooms built in houses that are situated in cities like Whiterun or Windhelm, as they will have protection from bandit attacks. Your Housecarl will also protect them if they are ordered to stay in the dwelling. Find out which followers are the best by checking out our favored followers guide.

There are two ways that players can adopt children. The best way is to adopt them from Honorfall Orphanage in Riften. However, with the addition of the Hearthfire expansion pack, players can now find children roaming the streets of various cities. Simply ask them about their situation, and if the player meets the pre-requisites (has a bedroom), they can ask to adopt the child. The child will say yes, and move into the home that the player chooses.

That is all the basic information surrounding adopting a child and starting a family. When adopted, children can interact with the player character and receive or even offer gifts. They will also store ingredients and other helpful items in their chest, where the Dragonborn can then take and make use of however they see fit. You can learn more about the adoption requirements and how to build your own home by picking up the Official Prima Games Strategy Guide. Or, head over to our free Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim walkthrough for more tips tricks, and guides to help you along your journey.