From Bassinet to Blocks: A Comprehensive Guide to Baby Aging in The Sims 4
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So, you’ve welcomed a new Sim baby into your virtual family and you’re eager to watch them grow. The question on every Simmer’s mind is: How long does it take for a baby to grow into a toddler in The Sims 4? The answer is nuanced, and it depends on several factors, including your game settings and play style. But here’s the gist: a Sim baby will automatically age up to an infant within one day. Then, infants will usually age up to toddlers after about three days. Let’s dive deeper into the specifics of baby aging in The Sims 4 and explore the nuances that can affect your Sim baby’s journey to toddlerhood.
Understanding the Baby Life Stage
The baby stage in The Sims 4 is a relatively short but crucial phase. Newborns exist solely in their bassinet and require constant care. After a single day, they transition to infants, who, thanks to a major update, are far more interactive and engaging than their predecessors. Infants are dependent on caregivers for all their needs, but they offer a range of interactions and milestones to track, making this stage a lot more fulfilling.
Factors Influencing Aging
Several factors influence when your infant will finally morph into a toddler.
Game Settings
First and foremost, your game settings play a pivotal role. In the “Game Options” menu, under “Gameplay,” you can control aging for your Sims. You’ll see options to disable aging altogether, enable it only for your played household, or enable it for all Sims. If aging is turned off for your household, your baby will remain an infant indefinitely. Ensure that aging is enabled for your household if you want your baby to grow.
Sim Lifespan
The Sims 4 offers different lifespan lengths: Short, Normal, and Long. The chosen lifespan directly impacts how long each life stage lasts.
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Short lifespan: Babies age up to infants quickly, and infants become toddlers in a shorter amount of time than the default settings.
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Normal lifespan: This is the default setting, with infants aging into toddlers in roughly three days.
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Long lifespan: Babies and infants remain in their respective life stages for an extended period, giving you more time to fulfill their needs and achieve milestones.
Caregiver Interactions
While aging occurs automatically, providing diligent care and interaction can indirectly influence the pace. Meeting your infant’s needs, fulfilling their whims, and helping them achieve milestones will make the whole process feel more rewarding. Though it doesn’t literally speed up time, these actions add depth to the gameplay.
Expediting the Aging Process
While you can’t drastically speed up the natural aging clock, there are ways to prompt the game to move things along if you’re impatient.
Birthday Cake
The most reliable method for aging up a Sim is by using a birthday cake.
- Cook or purchase a cake (Vanilla and Chocolate Cakes are available at Cooking Level 1)
- Click on the cake and select “Add Birthday Candles.”
- Have a caregiver Sim help the infant blow out the candles. This will immediately trigger the age transition to toddlerhood.
Cheats
For those who prefer a more direct approach, Sims 4 offers a range of cheats that can manipulate your game. Enabling cheats allows you to force age your infant into a toddler. Follow these steps:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + C (or Cmd + Shift + C on Mac) to open the cheat console.
- Type “testingcheats true” and press Enter.
- Then, type “cas.fulleditmode” and press Enter.
- Now, click on the infant while holding the Shift key.
- Select “Modify in CAS” (Create-a-Sim).
- In CAS, you can manually change the infant’s age to toddler and customize their appearance, traits, and other details.
Troubleshooting Aging Issues
Sometimes, your baby might stubbornly refuse to age up, despite your best efforts. Here’s how to troubleshoot common aging problems.
Check Game Options
Double-check that aging is enabled for your played household.
Reset the Sim
Use the “resetsim [First name] [Last name]” cheat to reset the infant. This can resolve glitches that might be preventing them from aging.
Repair Your Game
Corrupted game files can sometimes cause unexpected issues. Repairing your game through the Origin or EA App can fix these problems.
Update Mods
If you’re using mods, ensure that they’re compatible with the latest version of The Sims 4. Outdated or conflicting mods can interfere with aging.
The Importance of Milestones
The infant stage in The Sims 4 is all about reaching milestones. These achievements showcase the baby’s development and add depth to the caregiver’s experience. Milestones fall into categories like movement, communication, and social skills. While not directly linked to the aging process, milestones provide objectives and ensure active gameplay during the infant stage. Interacting with your infant helps them to crawl, sit up, and interact with objects.
Final Thoughts
While the base aging period for an infant is roughly three days, The Sims 4 provides numerous ways to influence and customize your gameplay. Whether you prefer a natural approach or a more hands-on method, understanding the factors that affect aging will ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience as you watch your Sim baby grow into a toddler. Now you can spend more time worrying about whether they will inherit mom or dad’s nose.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do baby Sims automatically age up in The Sims 4?
Yes, newborns will automatically age up into infants within one day. However, you can also manually age up newborns early into an infant by clicking on them and selecting “Age Up.”
2. Why can’t I age up my newborn in The Sims 4?
Ensure that aging is enabled for your household in the game options. If aging is disabled, your newborn will not age up automatically.
3. How do I force age up a baby in The Sims 4?
You can force age up a baby by baking a cake, adding birthday candles, and having a caregiver help the baby blow out the candles. Alternatively, you can use cheats to modify the Sim in CAS and change their age.
4. How do I age down a baby in The Sims 4?
Use the “testingcheats true” and “cas.fulleditmode” cheats to modify the Sim in CAS. There, you can de-age the Sim back down to an infant.
5. Can babies crawl in The Sims 4?
Yes, with the “Growing Together” expansion pack, infants can learn to crawl. Interact with them, provide tummy time, and help them reach movement milestones.
6. Why is my baby not crawling in The Sims 4?
Ensure that you are actively engaging with your baby and helping them achieve the necessary milestones for crawling. Provide tummy time and encourage them to learn and develop.
7. Can you throw birthday parties for babies in The Sims 4?
No, unlike in The Sims 3, you cannot throw birthday parties specifically for babies. However, you can still celebrate their transition to toddlers by baking a cake and using the “Add Birthday Candles” interaction.
8. How do you speed up pregnancy in The Sims 4?
Open the cheat console (Ctrl + Shift + C or Cmd + Shift + C on Mac) and type “pregnancy.forcep regnancyprogress” followed by a number between 0 and 100 to advance the pregnancy progress.
9. Can any caregiver breastfeed in The Sims 4?
The option to breastfeed or bottle-feed depends on the player’s preference. However, if the caregiver Sim is unable to produce breast milk, they won’t be able to breastfeed their baby.
10. How do you get twins in The Sims 4?
To increase the chances of having twins or triplets, have your Sim consume fertility-boosting rewards (like fertility massage from the Spa Day Game Pack).
11. Can pregnant Sims age up in The Sims 4?
Pregnant Sims cannot age, die, or undergo any life-changing events until they give birth.
12. Do I need a cake to age up an infant in The Sims 4?
While Sims, including toddlers and infants, will age up automatically, using a cake with candles is a way to manually trigger the aging process and celebrate the occasion.
13. Is there a best age to start playing The Sims 4?
The game is rated for teens, making it generally suitable for players 13 years and older. However, younger players may still enjoy the game with parental guidance and supervision.
14. How long is a Sim lifespan in The Sims 4?
The Sim lifespan can be adjusted in the game settings. The Normal lifespan is generally considered the default setting, with each life stage lasting a set number of days.
15. What is the average age of Sims 4 players?
The Sims 4 has a diverse player base, but a significant portion of players are women aged 18-24.
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