Highlights

  • Hiring a nanny in The Sims 4 is a binary choice, with the game not allowing players to decide who exactly will take care of their kids.
  • One player recently experienced an unusual downside to this mechanic after the nanny they hired turned out to be their ex-partner and their baby's estranged father, much to their displeasure.

One unlucky The Sims 4 player has recently regretted the decision to get a nanny after their hire turned out to be the baby's estranged father. The drama that ensued illustrates one shortcoming of The Sims 4 babysitter system.

Hiring a nanny in The Sims 4 is a fairly straightforward affair, requiring just a few clicks or button presses after interacting with a smartphone. But the option of getting a babysitter is presented as a binary choice, preventing players from deciding who exactly will get to watch over their in-game kids.

Sims 4 characters on dates around a fountain
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The Sims 4 Player Accidentally Hires Their Former Partner To Babysit Their Kid

While that state of affairs isn't an issue in most scenarios, it does have the potential to stir up some household drama. Reddit user Aware_Archer_7911 can attest to that shortcoming, having recently found themselves unpleasantly surprised after the nanny they hired turned out to be their ex-partner, one Kakeru Mori, who also happens to be their baby's estranged father. Elaborating on their unusual The Sims 4 parenting circumstances, the player explained that Kakeru and their character had a "terrible breakup," which left her hating her former partner.

Aware_Archer_7911 hence insisted that they absolutely don't want to allow Kakeru to have a relationship with their baby, Nova, having said as much in a recent Reddit post that amused many of their peers due to the sheer absurdity of the situation. Some of the fans chiming in on their predicament pointed out how it's possible to fire a nanny by interacting with them. Hiring another babysitter afterward will usually see the player receive a different nanny, although that's not guaranteed because the game picks them semi-randomly. The Sims 4 daycare service is an alternative in-game option for taking care of kids that would have allowed the player to avoid this kind of family drama, and comes with an added advantage of being free.

This unusual situation underlines how The Sims 4 nanny system is still fairly rudimentary even a decade following the game's release, and could potentially benefit from having an optional ability to interview babysitter candidates for players who choose to do so. At the same time, some fans chiming in on Aware_Archer_7911's experience have urged them to set aside their character's differences with Kakeru and allow him a chance to hold a job while connecting with his child.

The necessity of having a job might be what started this whole drama in the first place, as Aware_Archer_7911 explained that they opted to hire a babysitter because they "needed to get some work done," without elaborating on the matter. This weird episode is far from the only recent case of a fan being remorseful over some everyday or even seemingly positive in-game action. E.g., one The Sims 4 player even regretted winning the lottery back in late May.