The Sims 3: Guide to Having and Caring for Babies and Toddlers

So how do you get kids anyway?

There are 3 ways for that.

First, and the most obvious one is make one in Create-A-Sim mode. The baby will need at least one grown-up to live with him/her.

Second would be to adopt a baby, a toddler or a child. Use your Sim’s cellphone or any phone in your Sim’s house and call the adoption agency. Before the agency representative arrives at you Sim’s house, there will be a message box where you will have to choose the age of the child your Sim will be adopting (baby, toddler, child). After choosing, the agency representative will arrive at your house shortly and deliver the baby.

The third way to get kids is to have 2 Sims with a high enough relationship and love interest, try for a baby. Like from Sims 2, if your Sims have successfully made a baby, you will hear a lullaby after they try for a baby. Unlike The Sims 2 however, the try for baby option is still available after successful fertilization.

Q. What if I missed hearing the lullaby, how do I know that my Sim is pregnant?

A. A nauseous moodlet will appear.

Pregnancy

Aside from the nauseous effect of pregnancy, your Sim will need frequent bathroom breaks, eat a lot and get tired easily. You have to take care of your Sim because a good pregnancy means having a healthy baby with great traits to boot.

Q. My Sims wants to read a pregnancy book. Why and where can I buy it?

A. Expecting parents like to know a lot about parenting and helpful tips during pregnancy, this helps the pregancy to go smoothly. You can buy the books at the bookstore. There are 2 default pregnancy books which have the words preggy and baby on them

Raising Babies

Unlike in The Sims and The Sims 2, you can now see the needs of babies. Fulfilling babies’ needs are easy. Here are the ways to fill their need bars: (all these with your teen/young adult/adult/elder Sim as the active Sim)

Hunger – give bottle. 1 bottle will fill the bar (click the baby, choose give/feed bottle)

Energy – Put in crib (N.B. Babies and toddlers don’t sleep until they’re really tired)(click the crib and choose put *baby* in crib)

Social – 1 social interaction will fill the bar (click the baby, choose snuggle or toss in air)

Bladder – you have to wait for the baby to poo or wet the diaper

Hygiene – Change the baby’s diaper (as often as you want, one change fills the bar)(click the baby, then change diaper)

Try to make the baby’s needs be all green for the baby to have a successful baby-hood

And by the way, don’t forget to throw them a party (unless the baby is a loner) It adds a moodlet

Q. Although my Sim’s work has given him/her paid leaves to take care of the baby, I still need to do errands and stuff, how do i call for a nanny?

A. There aren’t any nannies in The Sims 3 but there is an alternative. Using your Sim’s cell or any phone in the Sim’s house, under services, choose babysitter. This will bring a teen over to your home to take care of the baby, and once you call in a babysitter, you can leave the house (even if the sitter hasn’t arrived yet, and no, you wont be a bad parent)

Raising Toddlers

So, you’ve raised your baby, fed, changed diapers and threw him/her in the air, now what?

Like in The Sims 2, you have to teach the baby how to talk, walk and go potty. Teaching toddlers these skills along with proper care, will give them good traits.

Here’s how to fill those needs bars (all these with your teen/young adult/adult/elder Sim as the active Sim, unless specified)

hunger – Feed 1 bottle or  sit them on a high chair and give them a bowl of food (click the baby, choose feed on floor or feed in high chair)

bladder – potty train (click the potty, then potty train *baby*), or if the toddler already is, direct the toddler to use the potty

hygiene – change diapers(click on the toddler and choose change diaper)

social – at least one social interaction (click on the toddler choose chat, snuggle or toss in air) or playing with Mr. Wugglybear( the toddler as the active Sim, click the bear then play)

energy – put the toddler in the crib (click on the crib, then choose put *baby* in crib)

fun – Toys, toys and more TOYS! throwing the baby in the air also adds to the fun bar (the toddler as the active Sim click on the toys and choose play)

Aside from teaching and caring for the toddler, buying baby books for your Sim to read with the toddler, and buying toys conducive to learning will help you baby grow well and receive good traits.

Dont forget to throw a party

Q. Will the toys and books that I buy and use with my baby Sim affect the kind of traits they will have when they grow up

A. Yes

That’s it! That’s how you take care and raise you baby/toddler Sim. Happy Simming