Adopting multiple kids then picking which homestead to send them to is weirdly hard

[RiftenWanderer]

I'm on my third playthrough and finally decided to actually do the whole adoption thing instead of just ignoring it. Grabbed two kids from the orphanage, got them to the house in Whiterun, and now I'm staring at my three homesteads trying to figure out where to actually put them.

Like, logically Lakeview is closest to Whiterun so I could visit easier. But Heljarchen feels more isolated which maybe isn't great for kids? And Windstad is just kind of out there. I don't want to dump them somewhere that feels like I'm sending them away to the middle of nowhere, but also I don't want them underfoot constantly.

Does it actually matter gameplay-wise where you send adopted kids, or is this just me overthinking it? And has anyone actually kept kids at multiple homesteads or does that feel weird? I'm also not sure if having a steward who's actually there matters for the kids or if they're fine on their own. Currently considering Rayya for Lakeview since at least she'd have someone around.

Curious if anyone else gets weirdly invested in this part of the game or if I'm the only one treating it like actual estate planning instead of just shoving them in a house.

 

[NordOfSolitude]

I think you're overthinking it but in a way that's kind of fun honestly. Gameplay-wise it genuinely doesn't matter - the kids are fine wherever, they'll just hang out in that house and do kid things. But the roleplay angle you're going for? That's where it gets interesting.

Lakeview closest to Whiterun is a solid call if you want to actually visit them without fast traveling to the middle of nowhere. And yeah, having a steward there does make it feel less abandoned - they'll actually interact with the kids and keep the place running. Rayya's a good pick for that, or if you've got Ysolda or whoever else as a steward, they'll do the same job.

Honestly on my last playthrough I ended up splitting them across two houses just because I adopted like four kids (idk why I did that to myself) and it felt more natural than cramming them all in one place. One group at Lakeview with Rayya, another at Windstad with my other steward. Felt less like I was running an orphanage and more like they actually had homes, if that makes sense. Heljarchen I just use for storing stuff now lol.

The isolation thing is kind of a non-issue in-game since there's no actual neglect mechanic, but if it bugs you aesthetically then yeah, Lakeview or Windstad are probably better vibes than Heljarchen sitting up on that mountain. What kids did you grab from the orphanage?