Why Isn’t My Baby Aging Up to Infant in Sims 4? Troubleshooting and Solutions
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So, you’ve got a brand new baby in your Sims 4 household, nestled snugly in their bassinet, but days are passing, and they’re still a baby. You’re itching to see them grow into an infant and start exploring the world, but nothing seems to be happening. What’s going on? There are several reasons why your baby might be stuck in that initial newborn stage, and thankfully, most of them have straightforward solutions.
The most common culprit is that aging is turned off in your game settings. This is easily fixed. Alternatively, if aging is on, it could be a bug or glitch preventing the automatic age-up. This requires a different approach. Let’s break down the solutions step-by-step:
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Check Your Game Options: This is the first and most crucial step.
- Go to the “Game Options” menu (usually found in the main menu or the pause menu while playing).
- Select “Gameplay.”
- Look for the “Auto Age (Played Sims)” and “Auto Age (Unplayed Sims)” options.
- Ensure that both of these are set to either “Yes” or “Only Played Sims,” depending on whether you want aging to occur for all Sims in the world or just your active household.
- If either of these options is set to “No,” your babies will not automatically age up.
- Changing this setting requires restarting your game for it to take full effect.
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Force Aging with a Birthday Cake: If aging is enabled, but your baby is still stubbornly refusing to age up, you can force the process.
- Have a Sim (preferably a parent) bake a cake. Any flavor will do.
- Once the cake is baked, click on it and select “Add Birthday Candles.”
- Click on the cake again and select “(Parent’s Name) Help Blow Out Candles.”
- The parent will pick up the baby and help them “blow out” the candles, triggering the age-up sequence.
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Look for Mods and Custom Content Issues: Mods and custom content (CC) can sometimes interfere with game mechanics, including aging. If you’re using mods, especially those related to infants or aging, try temporarily disabling them to see if that resolves the issue.
- Exit the game.
- Move your “Mods” folder from your The Sims 4 folder (usually located in Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4) to your desktop.
- Restart the game. If the baby ages up normally without mods, then one of your mods is causing the problem.
- Reintroduce your mods in small batches to identify the specific culprit. Make sure your mods are up-to-date.
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Check for Game Updates: Make sure your game is updated to the latest version. Updates often include bug fixes that can address aging issues.
- Open Origin or the EA App.
- The game should automatically check for updates. If not, you can manually check by right-clicking on The Sims 4 and selecting “Update.”
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Repair Your Game: If you’re still experiencing issues, try repairing your game through Origin or the EA App.
- Open Origin or the EA App.
- Right-click on The Sims 4.
- Select “Repair.”
- This process can take some time, as it will check for and fix any corrupted game files.
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Game Save Corruption: Rarely, the game save file itself might be corrupted. Try starting a new game to see if the issue persists. If babies age up normally in a new save, then your old save file is likely corrupted.
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Conflicting Traits: On rare occasions, certain Sim traits may cause aging complications. While there’s no direct “anti-aging” trait for babies, it is worth considering other complex traits that could be influencing the life cycle.
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Game Lag: Sometimes, aging does occur, but the game lags so severely that you don’t see the transition. Ensure your computer meets the minimum system requirements for the game, and close any unnecessary applications while playing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Infant Aging in The Sims 4
Here are some frequently asked questions, designed to help you troubleshoot the issue of infants not aging up and provide additional information related to infant care and aging in The Sims 4.
1. How long are babies supposed to stay babies in Sims 4?
Normally, babies in The Sims 4 will automatically age up to infants within about one in-game day. This is a very short lifespan stage, designed to transition quickly to the more interactive infant stage.
2. Can I manually age up a baby without a cake?
Unfortunately, no. Without mods or cheats, the only way to manually age up a baby to an infant is by enabling aging and waiting, or by using a birthday cake.
3. Does the length of the lifespan setting affect how long babies stay babies?
Yes, the length of the lifespan setting (short, normal, long) affects all life stages, including the baby stage. A longer lifespan will make the baby stage last longer (although it’s still a short stage), while a shorter lifespan will shorten it.
4. What happens if I leave a baby unattended for too long?
If a baby’s needs are consistently neglected, Social Services may intervene and take the baby away from the household. Make sure your Sims are properly caring for the baby’s needs to avoid this.
5. How do I make sure my Sims properly care for their baby?
Pay attention to the baby’s needs in the needs panel. Make sure they are fed, clean, and comfortable. Responding to their cries is crucial.
6. Why are my townies not aging up?
To ensure townies age up, you need to have “Auto Age (Unplayed Sims)” enabled in the Gameplay options. If this setting is turned off, townies will not age, which can lead to an imbalance in the game world over time.
7. Is there a cheat to force a baby to age up?
Yes, you can use cheats to force a baby to age up, but you must enable testing cheats first. *Open the cheat console by pressing Ctrl + Shift + C. *Type testingcheats true and press Enter. *Then, type sims.aging off to stop aging, next type sims.addbuff buffpregnancy_inlabor and press enter. Then you can click on the baby and reset them, this should age them up.
- Type sims.aging on to start aging. *This is an alternative to baking a cake.
8. Can babies die in The Sims 4?
Babies cannot die of old age, but they can be taken away by Social Services if neglected. Also, babies will die from the scenario’s as other Sims.
9. Can I choose the traits my baby will have when they become an infant?
No, you cannot choose the traits when a baby ages into an infant. The traits are assigned randomly.
10. What milestones can infants achieve in The Sims 4?
Infants have a variety of milestones across five categories: firsts, fine motor, gross motor, life, and social. These milestones represent the infant’s development and progress. Achieving milestones unlocks interactions and objects that improve gameplay.
11. Can I age up a toddler before their birthday?
Yes, you can age up a toddler before their birthday. You need to bake a cake, add birthday candles, and have the toddler blow out the candles.
12. Does having twins or triplets affect the aging process?
No, having twins or triplets does not directly affect the aging process. Each baby ages independently based on the game settings and lifespan length.
13. What do I do if I find a bug in The Sims 4?
Report any bugs or glitches to EA Support. This helps the developers identify and fix issues in future game updates.
14. Are there any mods that prevent aging?
Yes, there are mods that can prevent aging for specific Sims or all Sims in the game. These mods can provide greater control over the aging process but should be used with caution.
15. Where can I learn more about the Sims 4 gameplay and education?
You can learn more about educational applications for games, including The Sims 4, at the Games Learning Society website: Games Learning Society. The GamesLearningSociety.org provides valuable resources and insights into the intersection of gaming and education.
By following these steps and understanding the common issues, you should be able to successfully troubleshoot why your baby is not aging up in The Sims 4 and get them on their way to becoming a playful infant!