The Complete Guide to Parenting Kids in the Sims 3

On occasion, wishes will show up in a Sim kid's wish panel. However, this does not occur often. If players already have an idea about what they want their kid's lifetime wish to be, they should begin helping their kid develop an interest in that area. For example, if they want their kid's lifetime wish to be a top chef, they should have them developing their cooking skills by having them play with the little baker oven. If they want their kid to be a sports star, they should have them participate in athletic activities to increase the chance of the sports star lifetime wish popping up. Buying them toys, such as the dollhouse, will also increase their lifetime happiness.

Part of parenting kids in the Sims 3 is helping them make friends and maintain those friendships. Sim kids with positive social traits, such as charismatic or outgoing, will find it much easier to make friends and maintain their friendships. Parents can help their kids make and keep friends by taking their kids to parks and allowing the kid's friends to come over after school. To see who a Sim kid's friends are, and to see how good the friendships are, players can look at the relationship panel located on the button of the game screen. To help boost a kid's social meter, players can choose Meet New Friends and Talk to Friends when their Sim kids are in school.

Birthdays are an important part of parenting kids in the Sims 3. Throwing a birthday party for a Sim kid who is growing older, though not required, will increase a kid's mood. To throw a birthday party in the Sims 3 parents can choose to invite guests, order pizza, have music, have plenty of food, allow guests to swim and use playground equipment, and of course, have a birthday cake. All of these things should be taken care of prior to the guests arriving. Once it is time for the kid to age up, click on the birthday cake and choose Blow Out Candles. You will be asked to choose the kid who is aging up and then all of the party guests will gather around and watch the kid blow out their candles. When they are aging up there will be bright colors that resemble fireworks.

All kids in the Sims 3 must go to school. Parenting kids in the Sims 3 requires helping kids get up and out to the bus before it leaves. Kids in elementary school will go from 9:00am to 3:00pm and their bus will arrive at 8:00am. On occasion, kids will get opportunities while they are in school, such as doing a research project. Sometimes their wishes will lean towards them hoping to make the honor roll for several weeks. To make the honor roll, they will need to maintain an “A” for three days. Their performance meter will top out once they reach an “A”.

In order for Sim kids to make and maintain good grades they must go to school every day and fully complete all homework assignments. They will have homework starting the day before they start school.

Parents can help their kids complete their homework as well and it is more interactive and realistic than it was in the Sims 2. Parents will actually sit with their kid when helping them with their homework, instead of standing over them. Kids can also do homework together in the Sims 3. To do this place their homework on a table and instruct all kid Sims to do their homework at the same time. Kids can also cheat off another kid Sim, but if they get caught they will get a detention. When two Sim kids do their homework together, without cheating, they will actually get their homework done faster. Adult Sims can also tutor a kid to help them raise their grade, or maintain it. When parents help their kids with homework, kids do not have to worry about getting a detention. Adult Sims who are logical will be best at tutoring kids and helping them with their homework.