At what cost for Free Babies?

How hard could it be? In sims3, you can take babies for stroller walks, swing them in baby swings, play with them, but they can't move around on their own until they are toddlers at which point they start off as babies that sit on the floor where you place them, but can learn to crawl. To learn to walk, they have to be taught, otherwise they crawl everywhere. But as babies, yes they have needs you can see and respond to, but like real babies not yet crawling, they can only lie where they are placed, or be in a swing or stroller, or be held in arms, or laid in a baby bed, doesn't really matter whether that's a crib or bassinet as both are just baby holders. In fact everything is just a baby holder, as babies who can't yet sit up or crawl, are like that: you either hold them, or you place them on or in an alternate holder. Of course you can feed them, change or potty them, (in real life; the game didn't recognize infant pottying) sing to them, cuddle them, interact and fill their social needs as well as fun, hygiene, sleep, bladder, and hunger so in that, they were not objects.

But if your criteria for"free" means not tied to an object? That's not realistic for babies in arms who can't yet move about on their own. They must still be moved from one holder to another.

Yes, they are more interesting in sims3. I haven't tried them yet in sims2, but in sims 3 they are more interesting but still just placed on something else, so it's all just one baby holder or another, it's not like they can move on their own.