Parenthood - Should I get it?

"luciusstorm;d-1012833" wrote:
I gather the Parenthood pack is fairly popular (at least, a recent Sims Community poll ranked it as the best game pack).

Now, I am a big fan of "coming of age" stories. In fact, supernatural or sci fi coming of age stories are my personal guilty pleasure (which is probably why my own SimLit story is one). I'm wondering how well Parenthood fits with growing up and these "coming of age" stories.

At the same time, I must confess I have avoided the Parenthood pack almost from the moment I heard of it. As a parent, I know that every parent has their own ideas of what "good parenting" is. While I do not want to hold that real life debate here, I know that the game - being a game - has to have its own answer to that. The very nature of the pack seems to require parenting interactions that lead to "good" or "bad" outcomes. I worry about how I'm going to feel about that. (Full disclosure, I can't finish the aspiration from the Cats and Dogs expansion because I don't like that "cat jumping on the counter" is considered a "bad" behavior that should be disciplined. :) )

So, I guess my question comes down to two parts -

• Would Parenthood add dimensions to my "coming of age" stories?
  
• Is the Sims definition of "good parenting" ingrained into the pack such that, if I disagree with it, I'm going to have a problem enjoying the pack?
  

I definitely think if your play style is families then this pack is a good one.

I don’t have it yet as I mainly play with the young adult group. I like setting up first homes and doing a soap opera style.

I would get Parenthood if my play style changed. I like the chance of influencing behaviour whether good or bad.
I like the kids spilling paint when they’re moody. ?

I also don’t like the fact you have to tell cats off for going on counters. Mayor Whiskers in particular should have free run!