Forum Discussion
9 years ago
I know I've submitted this idea before, but I think introducing toddlers would be a perfect time to introduce parenting styles.
All Sims parent differently : some are friendlier, some are more strict, etc. Toddlers are at a very important stage of their life, when they learn basic skills AND social skills. So it's crucial that a Sim's parenting style is carefully chosen, depending on how the toddler is expected to grow up.
It's a system that works on the premise that you set a "parenting style" for any adult Sim, and whenever that Sim is around children from the same family/household, the parenting style applies and dictates the emotions of the adult during all the interactions. These emotions have a direct impact on the emotions of children (toddlers through teens), and feeling some emotions very regularly can influence what traits are developped later.
No two Sim children would grow up the same, depending on the parenting style of the adult Sims in the family/household and the nature of the interactions.
Here's a picture I made for children & teens (back when we had only basegame traits available), but you can see how creating such a system at the same time as toddlers would work perfectly.
(sorry, I don't remember how to link pics)
pbs.twimg.com/media/CLp9obBWUAA_05i.png:large
Most of the suggestions made in this thread can fit nicely into this. Cuddles from the friendly parents who never tire of being close to their kids, feeding on a high chair by the helicopter parents who just won't let their kid learn to eat on their own, multitasking for the competitive parents who want to push their kids a lot to become overachievers, baby monitors for hands-off parents who cannot be bothered to stay in the same room as their toddler, fingerpaint that drives the strict parents crazy whenever a mess is made (and a mess WILL BE MADE)...
The possibilities are endless, and can play into a system that gives childhood its own "quest", instead of just being a succession of "learn how to walk", "learn to go potty", "learn to speak".
What kind of Sim will your toddler be ? Just like in real life, it's up to you.
Parents will have to make choices. Maybe you can't be a helicopter parent and run a successful family business at the same time. You're gonna have to pass on some club meetings at the spa if you want to cuddle with your little ones all weekend. As for competitive parents, it's possible that you're gonna have to buy a huge piano instead of these Granite Falls holidays you were thnking of.
Each parenting style comes with advantages (it's easier for the toddler to develop some traits when comes their next lifestage), but also their downsides ! It could play so well with the emotions (which, I feel, EPS have not made great use of so far). When your toddler is frustrated because her parents leave her on her own, she breaks her toys. When he's energized by the support of his competitive aunt who's raising him, he learns his basic/social skills faster.
What happens if two parents have different parenting styles ? If Mommy is all about hugging and cuddling and playing with her toddler, but Mama prefers to teach him to walk as soon as possible ? Will they argue about it ? Will they find room for both goals so that their child gets as many opportunities as possible ? Or will their children feel confused times ? Some parenting styles are more compatible than others : competitive and friendly go well together, but also competitive and strict. On the other end of the spectrum, hands-off and strict pose real issues, and so do hands-off and helicopter.
And by the way... it gives an opportunity to create new stories ! Maybe in your save, these parents are friendly with their first born daughter, but strict with their little sister. Or maybe after growing up in a hands-off environment, your Sim will grow up to become a helicopter father to make up for what he feels he missed. Or maybe both parents are strict with all their children, but the friendly grandpa moving later on changes everything for the younger kid who's still learning basic/social skills.
I really feel it could add gameplay to the ideas of animations and objects so many of you are pitching. :) Who's with me ?
All Sims parent differently : some are friendlier, some are more strict, etc. Toddlers are at a very important stage of their life, when they learn basic skills AND social skills. So it's crucial that a Sim's parenting style is carefully chosen, depending on how the toddler is expected to grow up.
It's a system that works on the premise that you set a "parenting style" for any adult Sim, and whenever that Sim is around children from the same family/household, the parenting style applies and dictates the emotions of the adult during all the interactions. These emotions have a direct impact on the emotions of children (toddlers through teens), and feeling some emotions very regularly can influence what traits are developped later.
No two Sim children would grow up the same, depending on the parenting style of the adult Sims in the family/household and the nature of the interactions.
Here's a picture I made for children & teens (back when we had only basegame traits available), but you can see how creating such a system at the same time as toddlers would work perfectly.
(sorry, I don't remember how to link pics)
pbs.twimg.com/media/CLp9obBWUAA_05i.png:large
Most of the suggestions made in this thread can fit nicely into this. Cuddles from the friendly parents who never tire of being close to their kids, feeding on a high chair by the helicopter parents who just won't let their kid learn to eat on their own, multitasking for the competitive parents who want to push their kids a lot to become overachievers, baby monitors for hands-off parents who cannot be bothered to stay in the same room as their toddler, fingerpaint that drives the strict parents crazy whenever a mess is made (and a mess WILL BE MADE)...
The possibilities are endless, and can play into a system that gives childhood its own "quest", instead of just being a succession of "learn how to walk", "learn to go potty", "learn to speak".
What kind of Sim will your toddler be ? Just like in real life, it's up to you.
Parents will have to make choices. Maybe you can't be a helicopter parent and run a successful family business at the same time. You're gonna have to pass on some club meetings at the spa if you want to cuddle with your little ones all weekend. As for competitive parents, it's possible that you're gonna have to buy a huge piano instead of these Granite Falls holidays you were thnking of.
Each parenting style comes with advantages (it's easier for the toddler to develop some traits when comes their next lifestage), but also their downsides ! It could play so well with the emotions (which, I feel, EPS have not made great use of so far). When your toddler is frustrated because her parents leave her on her own, she breaks her toys. When he's energized by the support of his competitive aunt who's raising him, he learns his basic/social skills faster.
What happens if two parents have different parenting styles ? If Mommy is all about hugging and cuddling and playing with her toddler, but Mama prefers to teach him to walk as soon as possible ? Will they argue about it ? Will they find room for both goals so that their child gets as many opportunities as possible ? Or will their children feel confused times ? Some parenting styles are more compatible than others : competitive and friendly go well together, but also competitive and strict. On the other end of the spectrum, hands-off and strict pose real issues, and so do hands-off and helicopter.
And by the way... it gives an opportunity to create new stories ! Maybe in your save, these parents are friendly with their first born daughter, but strict with their little sister. Or maybe after growing up in a hands-off environment, your Sim will grow up to become a helicopter father to make up for what he feels he missed. Or maybe both parents are strict with all their children, but the friendly grandpa moving later on changes everything for the younger kid who's still learning basic/social skills.
I really feel it could add gameplay to the ideas of animations and objects so many of you are pitching. :) Who's with me ?
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