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 attend school every day to maintain good grades (they can also study from a bookcase, which prevents them from losing grades when they miss school). Child Sims whose grades remain at F for too long are sent to military school and are never seen again. Therefore, it is essential that Sims 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 another child will sometimes drop by your house to play with your children. If they stay 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 to keep the money flowing and ordering pizza over the phone to eat or having Servo installed to cook the food. Children can also care for a baby.
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 other cheat.
The default age for child Sims is 9.
The Sims 2
Child
Children- full of boundless energy
Childhood is the third life stage in The Sims 2, and it lasts for 8 days. Children will 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 relative. The school day for children lasts from 9AM to 3PM, Monday through Friday. Like 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 are too low or if they are too hot or cold), but can later be adopted by other families.
Unlike the original, The Sims 2 children can't live alone without an adult present, but can earn skill points. They can ask for (or be offered) lessons in all the original career reward items, and even use some of them independently. Children 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 let Sims put away and retrieve leftovers from the fridge, making Sim kids a little less dependent on adults for food.
The Sims 3
Children can have three traits and take 7 days in Normal lifespan mode to progress to the next life stage: Teen (Child Sims are about 5 - 12 years old). It is possible to age them at any time using the birthday cake.
As a child your 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.
This is the first time you will be able to see the young Sim’s skill journal. Children can build all skills except charisma, guitar 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.
In order for the player to choose the fourth trait when they become a teen, children must have a school performance of an A. 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"...)
Things that Children can do that younger Sims can't:
- Go to school
- Build all skills (except charisma and gardening)
- 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
- Be Tutored by sims with max logic (includes gardening and charisma)