Toddlers... Most difficult thing ever!

"rabidgummibear;c-16803347" wrote:
(This is to no one in particular, just a general response reading over the thread.)

See, that's just it. Toddlers and babies shouldn't HAVE to be a nuisance. I don't wanna get political, but I feel it is a sad commentary on our society when so many of us (not necessarily anyone here of course) feel we can or should plop our kids down in front of electronics and let an LCD monitor do the babysitting. I know it's no a perfect or a practical world we live in, but we're talking about a simtopian society here. Sim toddlers should be free and able to... well, toddle!

I know I'm not the only kid who grew up watching Rugrats and Muppet Babies. So why aren't toddlers allowed more activities to humanize them? Perhaps even traits specific to their age group, stuff based on real life research. Why are they reduced to such unfun little plum when in real life they are anything but that..?

How about the Animal Whisperer trait? Babies and toddlers have been proven to have a closer connection to animals, specifically to dogs, a trait that inexplicably disappears as they mature. Toddlers should be able to play with and ride big dogs; this is a no-brainer. Big dogs should be able to lift and carry toddlers or babies by their clothes. Cats like to lick a baby's head. It's all over YouTube. All woodland animals should react positively and automatically when a toddler is nearby. Etc, etc, etc.

The Lil Pollywog trait would mean both babies and toddlers love to swim with Mommy or Daddy in the pool. Yes, babies can swim in real life, cutest thing in the plummin' world. They actually have a natural blocker in their esophagus which makes it super easy for them.

Someone said toddlers have teeth? Yes indeed. And thanks for that clarification. So give a toddler the re-enforceable Biter trait, allowing them to playfully or even meanly bite other sims, including fellow toddlers.

Toddlers DO handle stairs, whether we want them to or not. This is the Sims. Don't worry, they'll be okay. ;) The Not Afwaid or Um Scayud traits determine whether they attempt such autonomously. A toddler who takes the stairs often is more likely to have the Brave trait as an adult. She might also become more adept at athletics (gymnastics?).

A toddler really needs the Go On An Adventure interaction. Meaning they can entertain themselves labeling various items in and out of the house. Things like Fight the Toilet Monster, Climb Mount Sofa or Search the Under Table Woods should allow multiple toddlers or solo action. Older sims or babies should be able to join in too.

Go On An Adventure even extends to the outside. Meaning if you aren't careful a toddler will wander off. The deer never harm or run from toddlers. Nor do raccoons. Or butterflies or snakes or birds or any other kind of animals. In fact, a big friendly St. Bernard (or a random townie) will bring your child back if they go too far.

A child or teen ought to be able to carry around their toddler friend or family Piggyback, whether playing around or just needing to get from place to place. Doing so, they can talk to the toddler, constantly increasing relationship points.

Toddlers and babies should be able to communicate with a Babble interaction. The Pwees Help Me, Um Hungwy, Um Sweepy actions allow a baby to tell his slightly older sim buddy or brother to seek out a sim or an object to help them out BEFORE they have to cry. Can you imagine how cute it would be to see a toddler on her own little mission across the carpet to find a bottle and bring it back to her baby bruddah?

That said, let's not forget babies. Are you kidding me? Babies crawl! You don't have to be a toddler to crawl. And what is WITH this laying on their back and staring up into space on Sims 3? If our baby isn't tasting his fingers and toes or waggling at the crib mobile, we usually assume something is wrong.

No, babies aren't dumb. They are at THE stage for accelerated learning. So aside from children or toddler toys, they should be able to interact with all kinds of things we don't want them to. Even if they can't reach them, a baby studies items or people VERY closely. Be Curious About should be a interaction especially if an older sim is holding them. Depending on the item being study, the game might even award secret levels of accelerated learning in everything from handiness to mastery of music. Let babies use the Taste interaction to shove various items into their mouths to inspect them.

Babies dream long before they leave the womb. Dream About allows them to focus positive events of the day and minimize the chance of waking in the night crying. Toddlers should be able to use this interaction as well.

Dogs and cats and other household pets should be able to comfort a baby if it cries. In fact, it has been proven that certain domestic animals see babies as younger members of their own collective. A dog or cat with the Loyal trait should stay close to a baby or toddler to Nudge, Lick, Woof, Purr, Rub, Tussle, Play With just like any other sim. Perhaps even more so.

Babies can have conversations with their toys or the mobiles overhead, even build relationships with certain ones. Babble Wiff, Pway Wiff, Adventure Wiff interactions could make for the most adorable sounds over the baby monitor in the next room. I mean, how awesome would that be? A toy with an especially high relationship brings comfort even when the sim is much older. The effect strengthens as it is passed down from generation to generation. Some toys become so powerful that they become magical. Like Teddy Bears that can autonomously fight that monster under the bed (Sims 3) at night when no one is around.

Speaking of the womb, sims of every age should be allowed to Speak To or Sing To the unborn. There's no reason a sim shouldn't be able to build a relationship simply because they haven't been born yet.

An older sim should be able to read novels or even technical manuals to the baby in or out of the womb. This could secretly boost all kinds of things prior to childhood.

Where are the baby pouches for adults and teens? Aside from being cute, this would help them bond and keep them close in public or at home.

In the words of Captain America, I can do this all day! Children are such a precious gift. At all ages. It's high time they be portrayed as such in-game. What ideas do you have..?

I'd love to see many of these ideas implemented - I love the toddlers as they are, but I'd be thrilled to get more interactions and objects for them. (And hair! They need more long hair.) I miss the crawling stage in previous Sim games. I do love the ways in which toddlers interact with each other, and it's cute to see them meet their new little baby sibling, but I'm all over more interactions.

I just don't find them to be a hassle to take care of - the baby stage isn't totally useless, as it does build the relationship between the parent and baby and allows the parent to increase parenting skill. You can leave the toddler to amuse herself, and most skills can be built without the parent's help, but they learn faster if the parent actively teaches them. (The tablet is the slowest way to build skills.) The 7-toddler challenge would probably drive me round the bend - the most I've done is two, and that kept me and their mother very busy.