The Sims 4: Parenthood is the fifth game pack for The Sims 4 and was released on May 30, 2017. It focuses on the family aspect of the game. The pack adds new interactions and traits that can affect how children grow up, as well as new objects and furniture that players can use to create a family-friendly home. The pack introduces new gameplay mechanics that allow Sims to develop relationships with their children, teach them new skills, and discipline them when necessary. There are also new ways for Sims to spend time together, with additions such as school projects or play sets. While there is no new world introduced with this pack, it brings a whole new dimension to the Sims gameplay, providing players with a more immersive experience of raising a family in the virtual world.
The Sims 4: Parenthood pack is a direct successor to The Sims 3: Generations expansion pack, and it introduces a range of new features related to family life. It introduces new character values and traits, including empathy, responsibility, and emotional control, which affect how Sims interact with each other and the world around them. This pack also adds new parenting interactions and objects, such as curfews, bulletin boards, and private journals. With these new features, players can build stronger bonds between their Sims and raise their children in a more dynamic and engaging way. Parenthood offers a fresh and exciting way to experience family life in The Sims 4. As it makes family interactions more meaningful, it is the best game pack for any Simmer that enjoy playing families, potentially for generations.
Sources for this article and its images include EA.com and other Sims content creators such as Sims Online .
Everything New In A Nutshell
- Character Value System and Associated Traits For Toddlers, Children and Teens
- New Skill (Parenting)
- New Aspiration - Super Parent (Family)
- New CAS, Build/Buy Items
Character Values
Parenthood adds a significant new feature to the game that might not be immediately apparent. The Character Value system is a major addition where the actions of young Sims can affect their upbringing to some extent. Parents have more control over their offspring, as they can discipline or encourage their actions, which will impact the character value progression either positively or negatively. There are five different character values, namely Manners, Responsibility, Empathy, Conflict Resolution, and Emotional Control, each with their respective reward traits that can be earned when Sims become Young Adults. These values can be seen in the Simology panel, and players can observe them increasing or decreasing when certain actions are performed by Toddler, Child, or Teen Sims.
Additionally, the impact of parents with higher parenting skills on these values is more significant, and Chance Cards, which are random options that appear for players to choose from, also affect character values. The more skilled the caregiver is in parenting, the more options they will have that will impact their children's character values. These Chance Cards can reduce one value while increasing another, and players who are attempting to maintain their Sims' values may want to focus on negatively affecting a particular trait at every chance card, so they can raise it by performing certain actions manually. Otherwise, many traits might go off the range quickly. Lastly, the new type of relationship status Sims receive with their parents and siblings based on their friendship level and discipline they received when they grow up to young adults is a valuable addition. While it may be a small and sentimental addition, it allows for more meaningful interaction between Sims as they grow up. Here is a brief overview of the character values system in Parenthood, along with some examples of the factors that can affect them:
Character Value | Positive Impact | Negative Impact | Reward Trait (High) | Reward Trait (Low) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Manners | Neat Trait, Friendly introductions, Doing Dishes, "Please and Thank You" parenting interaction, etc. | Slob Trait, Mean introductions, Belching and farting etc. | Good Manners | Bad Manners |
Responsibility | Perfectionist Trait, Doing homework, Cleaning up the mess, High grades, etc. | Childish Trait, Breaking curfew, Bad Grades, Making a mess, etc. | Responsible | Irresponsible |
Conflict Resolution | Outgoing Trait, "Say Sorry" parenting interaction, Apologizing, etc. | Hot-headed Trait, Fighting and arguing, Having an enemy or despised relationship, etc. | Mediator | Argumentative |
Empathy | Good Trait, Volunteering as a family, Playing with the Doctor Playset, etc. | Mean or Evil Traits, Mean socials, Trolling on the forums, Yelling, etc. | Compassionate | Insensitive |
Emotional Control | Self-Assured Trait, Doing activities such as jogging, playing instruments, writing down when having a negative mood, etc. | Jealous or Insane Traits, Hitting others, Destroying school projects, Having an emotional breakdown, etc. | Emotional Control | Uncontrolled Emotions |
Parenting Skill
The Sims 4: Parenthood introduces the major skill of Parenting, which has a maximum level of 10. As the name suggests, this skill enhances interactions between parents and offspring, giving parent Sims greater influence over their children's actions. However, unlike many skills that can be learned at a young age, Parenting is only available to young adult and older Sims. With this skill, parents can unlock a range of interactions that can be used with younger Sims, even if they are not their own offspring. These interactions include options to discipline, encourage, influence, punish, and ground a Sim, among others. At the highest level, Super Efficient Baby Care and Full Parent Mode interactions become available, which are incredibly powerful. Super Efficient Baby Care enables Sims to take care of all of a baby's needs simultaneously, while Full Parent Mode slows down the decay of a Sim's needs.
There are various ways to increase Parenting skill in The Sims 4, including reading parenting books or browsing parenting forums on the computer. However, the most effective way to increase this skill is by interacting with younger Sims, as reading a book may not give skill gains quickly, especially after certain levels. Not all interactions, such as simple conversations, will increase the skill, but generally, interactions related to parenting, such as disciplining, helping with homework, teaching toddler skills, and guiding them through character values, will increase it.
Super Parent Aspiration
For players seeking a family-focused gameplay experience with younger Sims, the Super Parent aspiration is an excellent choice. Unlike other pack-related aspirations that simply incorporate new features, this aspiration seamlessly integrates the parenting skill, character values system, and meaningful interactions in a way that feels immersive and fulfilling. However, completing this aspiration can be time-consuming, as players need their offspring to grow up to young adults with at least three positive character values. This is a common requirement for Family aspirations, as Sims need time to grow up. The final step of the Super Parent aspiration, Going Full Parent mode, can be confusing for some players, as it requires the Sim to perform 10 parenting actions in a row without any interruptions and achieve level 10 in parenting. Once players understand the requirements for Going Full Parent mode, it becomes a more achievable goal. Overall, the Super Parent aspiration offers a meaningful and engaging family gameplay experience.
Super Parent aspiration's reward trait is the Role Model reward trait. With this trait, toddlers, children, and teenagers who are near a Sim with the Role Model trait will gain character values at a faster rate. Although the effects may not be immediately apparent, players will notice gradual improvements over time. While some players may feel that this trait is not very useful once their own offspring have reached young adulthood and are no longer affected by character values, Sims with the Role Model trait can still positively impact the character values of other younger Sims, including grandchildren or unrelated Sims.
New CAS And Build/Buy Items
The Sims 4: Parenthood pack introduces a plethora of new CAS items that fit perfectly with the family-oriented theme of the pack. The CAS items include a diverse set of new outfits, hairstyles, and accessories for Sims of all ages, mostly cute and casual. The new clothing items offer a variety of options for parents, children, and toddlers, from comfortable everyday wear to more elegant outfits for special occasions. Overall, the Parenthood pack provides players with a wide range of options to create unique and diverse families in The Sims 4. The bear costume, which was originally introduced in the Outdoor Retreat pack, has made a return with additional color options and swatches for players to choose from, even without owning Outdoor Retreat itself.
This pack also brings over a variety of new build/buy items that focus on creating a cozy and welcoming home environment for Sims and their families. The items in this pack include furniture, decor, wallpapers, and toys that are perfect for a family home. These items range from kid-friendly furniture, such as single beds and playpens, to general home furnishings, such as comfortable sofas, kitchen, and bathroom items, and more. All of these items allow Sims to create a warm and loving home for their family and make it feel like a place where they can grow and thrive.
The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S