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Parenthood Question
Daephene
Posts: 1,760 Member
I'm usually the type to control the sim children rather than having the parents direct them. But I'm curious about a couple of the aspects of the Parenthood pack and none of the guides seem to directly address them.
First, do the different types of discipline get different results? Is there a point to grounding rather than just talking to the child/teen? I keep seeing descriptions of what your options are, but not why you would pick different options besides personal preference.
And second, can the parents encourage bad behavior, to help achieve the negative character values?
First, do the different types of discipline get different results? Is there a point to grounding rather than just talking to the child/teen? I keep seeing descriptions of what your options are, but not why you would pick different options besides personal preference.
And second, can the parents encourage bad behavior, to help achieve the negative character values?
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I've also found that, when a child is punished strictly/harshly a lot, the relationship panel will show it when they age up. I've also had it say something like "bad childhood, bad relationship". Again, I'd share screenshots, but I'm not on the computer that has the Sims 4 on it (however, if you're still interested in me sharing them, I can post them tomorrow).
I'm not sure how much it affects their character values, though. I don't think parents can encourage poor behavior - unless its through the teaching motives. I can't say I've ever tried it, though, so maybe it is possible.
Maybe if the parent is 'evil' or has the bad manners trait? I've never allowed that to happen to my Sims, so I can't say if they'd be able to influence the kid in a negative way.
Toddlers, kids and teens do get a boost to some of the positive traits when they are disciplined, but it might depend on how. I haven't really experimented much, since I have autonomy off and my kids don't make messes, etc unless I tell them to. About the only opportunity I have to discipline is when toddlers refuse to take a bath, and I've noticed that a 'firm' response gives the tot a bit of empathy. (Unfortunately, you can't discipline them for throwing food in the high chair, and I've been complaining for ages that parents can't do anything to get a kid or teen past the loud and obnoxious phase.)
So it sounds like the main difference in discipline techniques is how the child thinks about the relationship with the parent. That sounds like a nice roleplaying touch. I'll have to do a little experimenting with the current children.
I've been trying for ages to get a kid to grow up with the negative emotional control trait, without success. Having them pitch temper tantrums barely moves the kid toward the 'red' side.
If you mouse over the character value in the panel it will give you options on how to get the positive or negative effect you want.
I'll have to look at that - maybe there are some things I haven't tried. Maybe I'm just not consistent enough - I have my kids clear the dishes and set the table after every single meal, but it still takes most of the kid stage to get them to the full green side in manners. So, to do the opposite with emotional control, they'd need to have a tantrum a couple of times a day, which isn't always an available option.
The responsibility trait is a bit easier - all you have to do is have the kid go to school and do their homework, which they have to do, anyway. (At least in my virtual house.) I've only had a Sim miss the responsibility trait once - she aged up from teen to adult while at school, and was immediately sent home, resulting in a loss of responsibility. That used to be such a useful trait, but it's a bit bugged, now. Adults with the responsibility trait automatically 'work hard' at work, and it's not supposed to make them tense and they get to skip out on the 'homework' for their jobs. Unfortunately, all my Sims get tense at work now, especially as they climb the ladder - that's been bugged for ages.
I've also noticed that they still have 'homework' for some of the newer jobs. I recently put a Sim through the military career, and she always came home with tasks. That was fine when she just had to march around, but then she had to spar with others, and I wasn't about to have her kick the plum out of her elderly mother. After the mother died, she had to 'give orders', but there was no one else in the house. (She got the special kick-bot at some point, and she was able to give that orders, so it worked out.) Near the end, she had to bore people with her war stories. I finally had to send her to the park, where she repeatedly told a vendor and his customers about her war days. Fortunately, this didn't do much to forge friendship with her victims, so they didn't start spam-texting her day and night.
> I've found that if the parent uses the stricter punishment, that it will show up in the child's relationship panel. For example: I had a toddler sim who would autonomously make messes. All. The. Time. To which I had my parent sim (their dad) punish them for - usually strictly, like with a time out or a 'talking to'. Now, when looking at the child's relationship panel with said parent, I believe it said something along the lines of "happy childhood, with some rules" or something like that; I'd show a screenshot, but said child has been aged up and no longer is alive.
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> I've also found that, when a child is punished strictly/harshly a lot, the relationship panel will show it when they age up. I've also had it say something like "bad childhood, bad relationship". Again, I'd share screenshots, but I'm not on the computer that has the Sims 4 on it (however, if you're still interested in me sharing them, I can post them tomorrow).
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> I'm not sure how much it affects their character values, though. I don't think parents can encourage poor behavior - unless its through the teaching motives. I can't say I've ever tried it, though, so maybe it is possible.
A screenshot of that would be great, really interesting detail
Suzannah gave her a nice plate of superfood salad, and autonomously (I have autonomy turned off) 'encouraged her to eat'. Apparently, that didn't go over well, because Raina (who had a 4 in 'thinking') tossed the food on the floor.
Wow! Suzannah came running in from emptying the toddler pot to 'tell her off', which I've never seen a Sim parent do without autonomy. About time! I was tempted to send the little bugger to bed hungry, but of course, then I'd be in trouble with the Sim social worker, so Raina got a bowl of peas and no bedtime story.
This is probably the most common one I've gotten recently as I haven't been doing as much micro-managing/making sure there are prefect relationships or punishments between my parents/children.
Unhelpful Parent
I had to try really hard to intentionally get this one. Basically, I purposely ruined the relationship between the parent and child, often disciplining them with the 'strict' option; grounding them, time outs, etc.
Happy Childhood
This one I got sort of by accident. I purposely only had my family have one child so I could focus on them and none other; I also purposely tried to build a really strong relationship between the parent/child. I never really had to punish my child - and the one or two times I did, I used the "firm" option (or whatever is in the middle).