Toddler

Toddler is the second life stage in The Sims 2 and The Sims 3. It is the youngest lifestage you can create in Create-A-Sim.

The Sims 2
Toddler is the second life stage in The Sims 2, and it lasts for 4 days. It is the youngest life stage that can be created in Create-A-Sim. All toddlers have the Grow Up aspiration and can start earning aspiration points, although they won't be available to redeem them until they are teens, unless the FreeTime Expansion Pack is installed (note: the manual suggests this isn't possible, but it actually is.).

When a baby turns into a toddler, most of its genetic traits become visible for the first time, and its personality and interests are visible and it is controllable. Toddlers require the most attention of any life stage given their lack of independence, and can be taught 3 core skills: Walking, talking, and potty training. Once potty trained, a toddler will be able to use the potty for itself, but they still depend on adults to put them to bed and feed them. It should be noted that toddlers can be fed through a bottle or by putting them in their highchairs. Toddlers can gain skill points in Charisma, Creativity and Logic from their toys. FreeTime also lets them gain charisma by being taught a nursery rhyme from any older Sim - once learned the toddler can sing independently and gain enthusiasm for music & dance.

Like babies, toddlers can be removed by a social worker if certain motives are allowed to drop critically low. Other than that, as of FreeTime, there is no other way to take them off the lot.

After 4 days, the toddler becomes a child.

The Sims 3
Toddlers are included in The Sims 3. It is the youngest life stage you can create in Create-A-Sim. Toddlers begin with two traits if made in Create-A-Sim or they have the same 2 traits they were born with in the grew up from a baby, and take 7 days to progress to the next life stage: Child. Toddlers can now be held and carried. While older Sims are carrying them, the sim carrying them can do different activities, such as talking to people or watching TV. They can also be brought into vehicles and brought to Community Lots. Toddlers are about 2-5 years old.

Toddlers have less options to do things than they had in Sims 2. They can no longer ask Sims for food, attention or to be read to. They can, however, play with toys, where they can learn skills, but it won't show in their Skills Journal until they grew up into children.

Toddlers also don't need to be bathed regularly. Instead when their hygiene meter falls into the red, older Sims (Adults, Elders and possibly Teens) can use the 'Change Dirty Diaper' option to bring it back up.

This is also the age where Sims can start wearing clothes, although their choices are limited to Everyday, Sleepwear, and Formal.

In order for Sims 3 Toddlers to age well and to allow the player to choose the new child's traits, the toddler must be taught to walk, talk, and be potty trained.

Things that Toddlers can do that lower life stages can't:
 * Learn some skills
 * Learn toddler skills;Walk,Talk and Potty training
 * (Once skills are learnt) Walk, Talk and use potty

Player Tips

 * Keep a close eye on their energy levels and make sure you put them into the crib before it hits rock bottom or things can get difficult. If they've just had a nap on the floor you might find picking them up is difficult as they tend to wander around randomly, cry, and throw tantrums. And if they're tired they won't eat, won't play (so they don't learn skills, socialize or have fun) so their lives become hell.


 * As well as maximizing hygiene, giving them a bath will maximize social, as toddlers seem to think bath time is the height of the social calendar. However, it takes a lot of time. To deal with hygiene issues quickly, don't potty train them and just use the changing table when they fill their diapers -- after a few seconds they will have full hygiene again.


 * Wait until your toddler gets tired before you feed them, then put them in the high chair and give them a bowl or a bottle. They won't fall asleep in the high chair no matter how tired they are. They will throw a tantrum and refuse to eat, so select the toddler and click on the high chair where you will see "consume food" and that way you force them to eat. Once they've eaten, put them straight in the crib. This way you deal with hunger and energy together.


 * To stop your toddler from growing up, use the "aging off" cheat.


 * Toddlers can also sleep in pet beds, and may enter them without the assistance of an older Sim. This is very useful when the parents are otherwise occupied and cannot attend to the toddler.


 * One way to get them to potty train easier/quicker is to wait until its red. It will fill the bar quicker in the long term.


 * Toddlers like to splash in toilets, so a good way to prevent messes is to put the bathroom upstairs. If you only have one floor, when you catch a toddler about to splash click on his/her thumbnail and cancel the action. When you mop up, they will try to splash again. Putting them in their crib or highchair will stop them.


 * Toddlers awaken Sims, so when in a crib pick a controllable Sim that was awakened and use the Sim modder to make the toddler's energy motive min.


 * Toddlers will eat out of a pet's dish if left hungry. And if one Toddler has a bottle and another hungry Toddler is nearby they will attempt to take the bottle for themselves.

Using Smart Milk
Skills are essential, but they suck away at your needs. Plus the toddlers learn so SLOW. Here's a way I figured out how to get them to learn their stuff quick & easy.

NOTE: This requires the "maxmotives" cheat, and cheats can mess up your game. Maxmotives hasn't messed up my game yet, but it can. Also it requires the Pasteur's Smart Milk aspiration reward. Start hoarding aspiration pronto.
 * 1) Grow up your baby into a toddler.
 * 2) Open the cheat window (ctrl+shift+c). Type in "maxmotives", just like it is written here. Everyone on the lot's motives will be full.
 * 3) Put the toddler's and one adult's aspiration bar in gold or platinum in any way.
 * 4) Acquire the Pasteur's Smart Milk aspiration reward and feed your toddler some Smart Milk. Then teach them the skills.


 * Toddlers only need to be feed Smart Milk once. They will continue to learn skills quickly.

Cheat-free way to make toddlers learn skills quickly:
 * 1) Feed your toddler some green Smart Milk
 * 2) Immediately read to them.  The Smart Milk will wear off when you are done reading to them.
 * 3) Your toddler will now learn skills faster, even when they have not had Smart Milk.  Faster learning will continue into childhood (not sure if it continues to teenage years).