Hi @DaisyDogo - I understand completely about getting used to the timing in TS4. Before trying cheats or mods, remember that the Pause button is your friend! I pause the game frequently so that I can queue different tasks - you can select about 7 things for your sim to do while the game is paused, then click on the play arrow (NOT the x2 or x3 fast-forward ones, just the regular play time) and they will execute the tasks in the order you chose.
This has worked very well for me. I'll bet with practice it can help you out in learning the game play and "keeping up" with your sims. If you feel you still want to experiment with cheats, Carl's Guide has a very good Cheats Page that should help. The Carl's Guide site also has several useful sections for new and seasoned players. Hope this helps!
p.s. Your game will go to triple speed on its own in some instances when no one else is in the household, like if your sim is sleeping or went to work. You should still be able to pause or slow down the speed if you want. If your game doesn't keep the speed that you set, please reply back and let us know. Happy Simming!