Child

The Child life stage exists in The Sims, The Sims 2 and The Sims 3.

The Sims
Childhood in The Sims can either be the state that a Sim was created in, or attained after 72 game hours as a baby. Children do not grow older, and cannot gain skill points. Children created in Create a Sim have no skills, but children born in-game will have random skills. They will not be able to use most of them, but children who get high creativity can earn money by painting at an easel.

Unlike later games, children can care for babies. Children should go to school every day to maintain good grades, as they will lose a full grade level if they miss a day. They can regain some of that by studying from a bookcase or on a computer, and can even regain the full grade level if they study enough. Children whose grades remain at "F" for too long are sent to military school and are never seen again. Therefore, it is essential that they go to school every day, on time, and in a good mood to ensure their grades stay high. Children with an "A" average may occasionally receive §100 from their grandparents. The children of the neighborhood can play with one another, and when children are in a house, another child will sometimes drop by to play with them. If they stay late into the night, their parents will come and take them home.

It is possible for children to function well without any adults present in the house. However, they would have to rely on good grades, painting, or cheats to keep simoleons flowing in, and on ordering pizza over the phone or having Servo installed in order to eat anything other than snacks.

With the Makin' Magic expansion, magical children have access to the charm Age of Instant, which will permanently turn them into adults. This is the only way for a child to become an adult without the use of a hacked item or third-party program. Makin' Magic also gives kids a bit more freedom, in that they can go to Magic Town on their own by jumping in A Hole in the Ground.

When a child is aged to adulthood, regardless of how it is done, he or she will be given a randomly selected body type, a randomly selected Everyday skin for that body type, and a randomly selected head skin. Therefore, the newly created adult may not look anything like the child.

Unlike later games, children will not be taken away if their motives drop too low; they can even starve to death.


 * Notes

The Sims 2
Childhood is the third life stage in The Sims 2, and it lasts 8 days. Children still have the same Grow Up aspiration they had as toddlers, but their wants and fears are different. For the first time, making friends is important, as is being taught to study by an older Sim. (This is usually an older relative, but it can be an older friend, too). The school day for children lasts from 9AM to 3PM, Monday through Friday, and they receive homework after each school day. As in The Sims, children whose grades are consistently poor will be removed from the family by the social worker (who can also take them away if their hunger or social motives drop too low, if they are too hot or cold, or if they are left at home with no older Sims in the house), but can later be adopted by other families.

Unlike the original, children in The Sims 2 can't live alone without an older Sim present, but can earn skill points. They can ask for (or be offered) lessons on all the original career reward items, and even use some of them independently. Children can also do some household chores, such as cleaning certain items and taking out trash. However, in some cases, children may make messes more easily. When they shower, it is much more common for Sim children to make puddles, although this may also be directly related to their Sloppy/Neat score. They can't cook unless they use the toy oven, but they can still study cooking from a bookcase or the Yummy Channel. They can also eat snacks from the fridge. The Seasons and newer expansion packs lets leftovers be put in, and retrieved from, the fridge, making Sim kids a little less dependent on adults for food. They can go along with older Sims to community lots, although they cannot buy anything. They can, however, try on clothes. Unlike children in The Sims, children in The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories cannot care for babies or toddlers, though they can use the "family kiss" and some "play" interactions on the latter.

A child who is awake when one of his or her parents returns from work will generally stop whatever he or she is doing (even eating or bathing), and run to greet the parent. This action can be interrupted, and the child sent back to whatever he or she was doing.


 * Notes

The Sims Castaway Stories
Children in The Sims Castaway Stories do not have to go to school. Their job is to grow up into teens, and to learn skills by then.

The Sims 3
Children can have three traits and take 7 days in Normal lifespan mode to progress to the next life stage: Teen. It is possible to age them at any time using the birthday cake.

As children, Sims will not have a lifetime wish immediately after creation, but will be free to build skill levels, pursue hobbies and develop friendships that will affect later life. They can gain a lifetime wish during this stage as their hobbies become more clear, and hard-working child Sims may even achieve the wish before becoming a teenager.

For the first time, children can visit their friends' homes or visit community lots alone, but they must be back before their curfew (10:00pm). If a child is out past their curfew, they will follow the nearest adult or go home.They also can't leave before a certain time in the morning. Children can now stay at home alone without a babysitter.

This is the first time that a young Sim’s skill journal can be viewed. Children can build all skills except charisma, instrument skills, athletic, and gardening. You will not be able to see a child's cooking or handiness skills until they become teenagers, but all the other acquired skills can viewed in the skills tab.

Patch 1.6 also allows children to directly interact with toddlers. Children can hug toddlers, read toddler books to them, and play "Peek-a-boo" together. They can also feed toddlers on the ground or ones that have been left in the high chair. Children cannot yet carry a toddler or look after them in the absence of an adult or babysitter.

In order for the player to choose the fourth trait when they become a teen, children must have a school performance of a B. Otherwise, the new trait will be chosen at random. The worse they do at school, the worse the trait will be (if the child fails, the trait may be something like "loser", "unlucky", or "evil"...) children cannot get traits like "flirty" or "charismatic" but if testingcheatsenabled true is used, then if you change the child's traits that way, the traits still will not be available, but they can get them by rolling traits. Children are about 5 to 12 years old.

Things that Children can do that younger Sims can't: Things that Children can do that Older Sims can't
 * Go to school
 * Build all skills (except charisma, gardening, music, and Martial Arts)
 * Have a lifetime wish
 * Use the toilet
 * Retrieve snacks, quick meals or leftovers from the fridge
 * Sleep in beds
 * Visit community lots or neighbors' homes alone (riding their bike)
 * Be tutored by Sims with max logic (includes gardening and charisma)
 * Die of drowning
 * Die of Fire
 * Die of meteor strike
 * Work out
 * Earn money in bake sales
 * Bury homework in sandbox
 * Socialize with Imaginary Friends
 * Play in treehouse
 * Dress up in costumes from the costume chest
 * Prepare pranks
 * Have Afterschool classes
 * Go for a virtual joy ride on a nearby couch
 * Go for a virtual submarine adventure (needs a bathtub)
 * Virtually preside over a royal court on a particular dining chair
 * Reinforce and take care of all animals
 * Play with toys (Childish adults can)
 * Have bake sales
 * Go for a joy ride/submarine adventure/preside over royal court/have a tea party
 * Play peek-a-boo
 * Play tag (Childish adults can)

The Sims Medieval
Children in The Sims Medieval are similar to children in The Sims in that they will not grow any older except under certain circumstances. Unlike modern Sim children, medieval children cannot die of anything.

As only Hero Sims can be playable, children will be uncontrollable. However, they can still offer much help to their parents. A hero Sim can put their child to work by having them go shopping at the market or by gathering resources around the kingdom. Married couples can have as many children as they want, but one household can only have 3 children in it. If your Sim has four children, you must choose one who moves away to find his fortune, study the Watcher, go to military school, etc. Single mothers can have up to three children.

Medieval children do not attend school. Instead they have an apprenticeship relating to their parent's occupation. For example, the daughter of the Monarch would be a Princess, while the son of the Knight would be a Squire. If both parents are Hero Sims, the child will follow the profession of whoever owns the house they live at.

Children can also duel other children with toy swords.

Trivia

 * In The Sims, it was possible for them to live alone, be created by themselves and take care of babies. In The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories, it is not possible except by killing the adults in-game.
 * Children can die from hunger in The Sims but as of The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories, a child would be taken away by the social worker instead.
 * Until The Sims 3, a child would be removed for getting F on their report cards for a period of time.
 * In The Sims 3, it is possible for a child sim to get the romance-related traits (usually reserved for teens and above), such as "Flirty" or "Hopeless Romantic" if they are a clone.