Creative Elder Sim Ideas - What do you do when they kids leave the house?

"Sharonia;c-17061553" wrote:
I don't separate my elders from the main family. I keep them together and let them live out their lives with their kids and grand kids.

That's what I do, and you never need a nanny.

I like playing with elders because usually they’re the ones who can do amazing things, like cook meals that don’t spoil, write books of life, make crocus-scented bouquets for the bees, or instant-upgrade objects. I’ve earned that, ya know! I’m not going to send them away and not take advantage of that.

If they are at the top of their career, I cash in all their vacation days before retirement. They focus on skills that complement the skills they already have. Or they just enjoy the lifestyle they’ve become accustomed to. One of their kids stays home to inherit the house (I never have childless elders).

Many of then have tons of aspiration reward points to use up. So I might buy something like a lean potion or potion of youth to give to another sim who needs it. Or I spend them on traits to make their lives easier, like heat and cold immunity, carefree, etc. I don’t really like the never weary & never hungry ones because I don’t have that much for them to do and I still want them to rest and eat with the family.

I usually don't do much with my elders, as they tend to have grown or almost grown kids by then, so I tend to start focusing on the next generation once they start coming of age, so I've been making an effort to pay more attention to the elders in my game. I tend to just let them continue what they've been doing, usually working and hanging out with friends and family. I always make sure to introduce them to any grandchildren, nieces, and/or nephews they might have.

In my current rotational save, one of the families is made up of a husband and wife and their teenage daughter. The parents are adults at the moment and work as self-employed archaeologists who live in Selvadorada. Once they become elders, I'm going to have them "retire" and move back to their house in Willow Creek full-time. To give them something to do, I'm going to have them authenticate items they receive in the mail and give archaeology lectures around town.

Another of my families consists of Bernard Shaw (from the Von Haunt Estate) and his girlfriend, Violet, one of my sims who was born in-game. Bernard doesn't seem to age, but Violet does, and she's very close to becoming an elder. I'm going to let her continue working her job and having her visit her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. I'm also planning on having her take in her younger cousin (who's a YA), who doesn't want to live in a house full her two brother's kids.

Another of my elders lives with one of his cousins and is helping her raise her three kids. She was forced to move out of her wildly expensive lot and into something cheaper, so he invited her to live with him and help out as much he could for as long as he could.

I usually keep one kid living in the home, if I don't want to lose the home when the parents pass, plus it gives them the chance to be dotting grandparents.

Usually, though, I move the elders to a retirement type house, whether that is a small one bedroom house or a retirement home with several elders.

If there's room in the elders home, I bring the grandkids over for weekend visits. With how manage world and households work, it's so easy to shuffle Sims between houses for the weekend. That's one of my favorite features of Sims 4.

I like sending grandma to the spa. She deserves some pampering. Grandpa fishing, he likes the silence. Vacations to granite falls. Edit granite falls and give them things to do.

Grandma and grandpa usually have a Friday night card game with friends. I love elders, I wish we had more hobbies for them.

Usually they stay with one offspring. Either in their home and with one adult (or young adult) child that stays at home and starts their family in their family home. They have also just lived alone at home or even moved in with one of their kids that have moved away (especially if I have needed their home for a new family/household).

But in Sims 4 in my main save game I am in the process of turning the Fyres home into a retirement home with an attached medical facility (a very small one though) and a small living quarters for the attendies/carers. It will be able to house 8 Sims, 2 attendies and 6 residents (or 5 residents and one pet). Some of my elders will NEVER go there and either stay at home (either alone or with an offspring that never left home) or move in with their offspring (if they have any). But I will definatly have some elders that will live in the old Fyres home in their twilight years. And yes :smiley: They will have a playtime in my rotation.

Such awesome ideas guys - thank you! :blush: