can we all just agree that the hardest life stage to manage is toddler?i dread starting families because of how difficult they are to take care of. especially when there's two of them-- my sims recently had twins-- and i'm struggling to provide for the twin toddlers, the two parents AND their other daughter.i don't know what else to say.. toddlers are just hard. i don't know if i want them to be improved on. i don't know what i'd change exactly. does anyone else? what strategies have other people used when they've had two toddlers at once? some advice would really be appreciated

I don't really have an issue with them I've raised several at a time in one house multiple times guess it depends on what you do with them.

I find toddlers the easiest of the sims 2-4 simply because they are more independent and require less attention.

I honestly don't find them to be all that hard? Definitely the hardest life stage but still not difficult to play with. I know a lot of people have said they feel the same as you, though. The last time I played with any (which was a long time ago) I needed to raise three at once and have all three max out their skills. It was pretty easy. As for tips, some people have said that using the highchairs complicates things? But I used them and they worked fine for me so I dunno. I liked to keep mine on a routine until they aged up. They would work on a skill all day until their energy hit yellow, then they would eat and go to sleep, wake up, eat, work on a skill, etc. When they were low on attention I'd have someone potty train them or bathe them (whatever was more convenient) to kill two birds with one stone. You might also consider giving all your toddlers the angelic trait to make them easier to deal with.

They can be a challenge, but I find that getting the family and the toddler into some sort of daily routine helps. Also; if they don’t nap during the day, they will get really cranky, kind of like a real life toddlers.As for skills, levelling up potty skill makes them be able to use the potty on their own rather than rely on someone changing their diaper. A higher thinking skill makes them less defiant and makes them not have nightmares as often.It might also be the traits. I find that fussy, wild and clingy toddlers are the hardest to deal with and I will usually not have those traits if I have another toddler in the household.

The hardest life stage to manage, compared to older sims? Yes, definitely. But hard per se? Not really, if you've played TS2. Those toddlers couldn't even get out of their cribs on their own, so if they woke up in the middle of the night, they'd start screaming your ears off until you dragged an older sim out of their bed and sent them to let the annoying crybaby out. There was no such thing as daycare, so unless you had a nanny, sims sometimes couldn't go to work because it would have meant leaving their toddler at home alone... Gosh, how I hated them back then!Compared to that, TS4 toddlers are actually fairly self-sufficient. Of course, it also depends on the trait you choose for them, but generally, they can get in and out of their beds with no problem, climb stairs (although it takes a while), get their own food servings even from counters and other high surfaces that would normally be out of reach for them, and if you teach them to use the potty, they will also do that autonomously. Just make sure there's always some food around (putting fruit in their inventory works, too), leave a few toys on the floor for them to play with, bathe them when they're dirty and interact with them like you do with any other sim to keep their social bar filled, and you're settled.The reason I usually age them up prematurely is not that I can't handle them, but because there's simply nothing else to do with them once they've maxed all their skills, and I'm playing with the long lifespan.

toddlers are ridiculously difficult

Alyssa12307
7 years ago
it's interesting that everyone is saying they're not difficult, because i really struggle with managing even just one. thanks for the advice everyone, i'll definitely be using it :)
belpita
7 years ago
"alyssa123;c-16827873" wrote:
it's interesting that everyone is saying they're not difficult, because i really struggle with managing even just one. thanks for the advice everyone, i'll definitely be using it :)

Is there anything in particular you're struggling with? What traits do your current ones have?
I somehow managed to max two fairly different toddlers (twins) in the same household once without trying all that hard. It does require some good planning and focus, I agree. Potty training and movement are key, in my opinion. That makes it easier to have them entertain themselves independently. Also, don't forget that they can play with each other, if they need attention or entertainment.
ThatMermaid95
7 years ago
I love toddlers but twins are not the ones for me - I had a lot trait that I couldn't change (but because of funds it was the most affordable for her needs) - ironically since the twins she's had to find a bigger apartment. And with my couple being in the same line of work (that's how he got on her radar) they work the same/very similar hours
ck213
Seasoned Scout
7 years ago
I guess so, when compared to a ridiculously easy game.
I had a hard time with 3-4 toddlers while trying to take care of a large garden, but I rose to the challenge, which was satisfying.
I don't see one or two as that difficult.
ThatMermaid95
7 years ago
"MVWdeZT;c-16828116" wrote:
I play an ISBI, so I don't have any control over the toddlers. Even so, my controlled Sim can usually manage them quite easily. I do keep some fruit or carrots in their inventory, though, for emergencies. And I admit, if my toddler's hunger is in the red, I will break the rule about managing only one Sim to make them eat something. I think it's actually easier to just have one Sim doing the caretaking than to try and make every Sim in the household deal with the little one.

ISBI?
ValiantRedKnight
New Spectator
7 years ago
Honestly I find two toddlers easier than one because they can socialize while they play with blocks or dolls or whatever. That way I don’t have to constantly send sims to chat at them.
janyses
New Observer
7 years ago
"HowGreatThouArt;c-16827964" wrote:
-No high chair.
-Make group meals and drag them to the toddler's room when the toddler is hungry.
-Get Movement and Potty to at least 2.
-Put a nightlight above their bed to cut back on nightmares.
-Stock the toddler's room with a tablet (which they never tire of) and toys.

If you do those things, toddlers are pretty self-sufficient. Giving them the Independent trait also makes them less socially needy. I love this stage so I hope those tips help you enjoy them too :smile:

Even better, you don't have to drag meals anywhere. They're self-sufficient enough to grab a plate on their own.
VaguelyAloof
7 years ago
I mostly find them unpleasant and not fun to play.

No high chair, just drag the food onto the floor. Give them the independent trait so that they can immediately use the potty on their own, no need to have a parent help them get to level two. And the toddler tablet for out of the way entertainment that levels them up with no fuss.

I like Legacy gameplay and I feel like skipping a life stage is detrimental to the overall story/timeline, but I do not care for the toddler stage.

If I'm able, I'll sent my sims family on vacation without the infants/toddlers until birthdays come around. Let's be real. I do this a lot. I am not about the toddlers.
MilwayLang
7 years ago
It's not difficult to me.. to raise one or two toddlers..

But raising one toddler with a child AND a teen is so much pain in the back to me. Their skills, man :neutral:
keekee53
Seasoned Newcomer
7 years ago
It starts to be a challenge when you have 3 or more when they are not potty trained but for the most part it is easy to me. They can grab a plate of food, pee, play with that ipad to gain skills, etc....seems pretty easy to me. I don't even need an adult to take them to bed. In Sims 2 and 3 we had to have someone put them in the crib.

Oh I wish they would fix highchairs too so my sims can be more involved in taking care of the toddler..lol