Pre teens in the Sims 4!

@monehaenselr,  you have a lot of great ideas, especially since we don't' have gradual aging in the Sims. 🙂  Having a pre-teen stage is a nice way to give the feel of more fluid and gradual age transitions! 😎 But here's the problem:  almost every single activity listed is something that teens do.  To many, this is just teen behavior.  I think the mix-up comes from the term "teen" as a life-stage.  We think of the teen years starting at thirteen, but in actuality teens means 10's (so this would be any age from 10-19.).  But since adolescence usually starts at around 12, that is what many people think of . (Although, technically, pre-teen includes all humans that aren't' in their teens yet, even toddlers! 😃😉 )

⭐ Yes, a pre-teen 9 year old will copy teens, but so will a child who is 5 years old, and for that matter, so will other teens! 😃

Jealousy and bossy behavior occur at any and every age!

So does gossip

Slumber parties are a fantastic idea! 🥳❤️  But both children and teens have those, so there isn't really anything about slumber parties that says "pre-teen only" 😕 .  But I still hope we get them in the game! 🥳

Junior High/Middle School are kind of more just school for early teens.  Some districts, states, or countries have Intermediate school, which is really distinct to pre-teens. !  But if that were to be added we would need Elementary School, then Intermediate School, then Middle School/Junior High School, then High School. (and hopefully eventually College/University!) 😉

We already have mild dating interactions for Teens.  Teens can't woohoo in the game.  So extending these mild dating actions to younger Sims wouldn't really do anything to the game because the interactions would be the same for pre-teens and teens.  EA isn't going to go through the trouble to incorporate a whole new life stage into an existing game if the new life stage does the same interactions as an already existing one! ☹️  Crushes also can occur at almost all life stages in real-life (I had crushes on classmates in Kindergarten, and even had crushes on TV and movie stars at the age of three!)  But I do like the idea of crushes being added to the game! :eahigh_file:  That's a great idea! 

EA could add going to the movies on a date, but this would also be open for teens, young adults, adults, and elders. 😉

Roller skating and ice skating were already added with the Seasons EP, but again this is an activity Sims of most ages can enjoy.  Nothing unique to pre-teens.

Having acne sprout up on its own in-game would be good!  🙂 Certainly better than just adding a perma-pimple in CAS! 🤒  (We used to have acne popping up and then getting better in other versions of the Sims for teen Sims.)   But again, teens, and even adults get acne in real life.  Other than having a "my first pimple" event, there really isn't anything different about it.  (But if we were to get a "my first pimple" event, then we should get a "my first gray hair" event! 😃😉 )

As for "puberty", teens also are still going through puberty!  So yet again, this is already covered by teens.  Teen girls have breasts in the game and both teen boys and girls have deeper voices, especially boys in the game.  They could have the pre-teen Sim boys voices crack because that is distinct to the pre-teen age! 😇

Bikes would be fun! 🥳  But children in real life ride bikes.  Also teens who aren't 16 yet (al least in the U.S.A.) often ride bikes.  And again many adults ride bikes for fun or to save gas, or for exercise.  Again, nothing about bikes are exclusive to pre-teens.  Plus, with out an open world like there was in the Sims 3, there really isn't much use for bikes.  So I don't think EA is going to add that anyway, unless we get a TS5 and they include bikes, cars, and an open world!

I like the idea of hobbies for after school. :eahigh_file: But we already have (with the Seasons EP) Scouting for children and teens.  No need for a pre-teen life stage for that.  They could add other hobbies, but these would also for multiple age-groups.

I'm all for more heights in the game!!! ❤️   But since they made teens the same height as adults in TS4 (they were different heights in TS2 and TS3) in order to make clothing meshes easier to have for all age groups, I doubt they would add a new height at this point.  😞

 Yes, if they were to add a pre-teen stage, then they should be able to babysit or help take care of toddlers and infants!  They also should be able to take dogs for walks, change the cat litter, help with the garden, and cook easy meals like salad.  But they aren't going to add a new life-stage just for this. 

School dances would be great!  I really miss the Prom event from TS3! But that is for teens anyway...

⭐  Then there is the problem about implementing a whole new life stage in a game that is already 4 years old.  That is a awful lot of work.  That is why for them to justify adding a pre-teen life stage at this point in the game, you really need some unique gameplay to make it worth while.  Which leads us to....

⭐  ... the problem of the events that are special to what we think of when we think of events or characteristics that deal with being a pre-teen.  These include things that are either very embarrassing, very, gross, or very controversial.  You mentioned getting a period and having embarrassed moodlets about that.  (We should also have pain moodlets for this!)  The only reason to add this is that getting your first period is a huge deal!  It is one of the defining characteristics of the age we are talking about, at least for girls.  But many people don't want this in their game because it is very gross and very embarassing.  🤒  How would this be implemented in the game?  It couldn't be too graphic or descriptive.  But then you run the risk of making a big event more like a Sim just one day rushing to tell her mom or older sisters the news and then just being embarrassed all day.  While very exciting in life, it wouldn't make good game play.   In real life it would mean that that person can now physically have children … but in the Sims there is no teen woohoo, let alone pre-teen!!! 😮🤒😠 So this is very controversial, and therefore I seriously doubt that EA would include this!  

🤞  But I still think that your post is important because if there is ever going to be a pre-teen life stage, then it probably wouldn't be added to The Sims 4, but instead it could be added to The Sims 5! 🥳  As you pointed out, many people are talking about pre-teens and how they want them in the game.  So, I'm sure EA is at least discussing about the possibility of adding them , but TS4 is several years old.  While it might go on for several more years, we don't really know when it will end.  If EA is already thinking of making a TS5, then they are more open (I would imagine) to what could make TS5 different from TS4.  Pre-teens could be one of those differences. 😉  Yes, there is no guarantee that they will make a TS5, but I think that this is your best bet for getting pre-teens in the game! :eahigh_file:

Happy Simming! 🥳