- [LGR] Over the years of playing Sims games

and reviewing their expansions,

I have found that there are two things

that I most enjoy in a pack.

One,

expansion packs that logically fill in the gaps

among existing features;

and two,

packs that fall more onto the realistic side

of the life simulation fence.

These are probably the two main reasons

why I enjoyed Sims 3 packs

like Generations as much as I did.

So it should come as no surprise

that I have also been enjoying Parenthood,

the fifth $20 game pack to The Sims 4,

which borrows a decent amount from Generations

but still relies more on its own fresh ideas

to spice things up,

instead of just rehashing old content.

And sure, of course it has the usual set

of new clothing and new hairstyles, new objects

and new chairs.

And that's great!

But that's just kinda par for the course

from any pack at all these days.

Parenthood's primary focus is really about...

Well, parenting, and hoods, I guess.

Maybe not hoods, just parenting.

And all the trials and tribulations

that befall anyone who seeks such a fate.

Now, to my knowledge, I am not a parent.

But I have grown from childhood to adulthood

under the watchful eyes of parents.

So, I can at least attest to the chuckle-worthy accuracy

in the way that Parenthood portrays the maturation process.

This pack is all about maturing.

For one thing, you've got dedicated fart and burp commands now.

both of which are skills I developed as a young lad

and have continued to hone to this day.

(fart)

- Brah!

(burp)

- [LGR] Eh, just be careful trusting a fart.

Because if a Sim has to go to the bathroom

and lets one loose, well...

Sharts are a thing now.

(chuckles)

These truly are important lessons to learn

on the journey to adulthood,

and I welcome their long-awaited inclusion.

But in all seriousness,

flatulence isn't the only reason I like this pack, probably.

The other reason is because it fleshes out

the earlier life stages in The Sims 4

and actually makes them worth playing through.

From toddlers to children to teenagers,

each one has been expanded to be much more hands-on,

whether you're controlling the offspring or the caregivers.

So let's start with the offspring side of things and...

♫ Come out and play!

("Come Out and Play" by The Offspring)

Wait, wait, wait, what?

Sorry, I meant from the pre-adult Sims side of things.

They now have a new panel called Character Values,

consisting of meters for responsibility,

conflict resolution,

empathy, emotional control,

and manners.

While this sounds like a list

of the most boring elective classes ever,

it really is just a way to categorize

the actions of younger Sims.

For example, farting on someone while they sleep

is considered bad manners.

Recklessly scattering chocolate syrup and flour

all over the floor is considered irresponsible,

and throwing a tantrum over someone

disagreeing with your choice in pop music

is considered a lack of emotional control.

And as such, these actions will decrease

their associated values in their character.

On the flip side, doing the opposite

will increase your Sim's Character Value

and when they age up,

those values will translate

into either positive or negative traits.

So, yeah, it's pretty similar to learning motor skills,

and getting good grades and stuff like that,

in the sense that it affects trait inheritance later on,

but it applies the idea to practically

every action younger Sims make.

Plus, several of their actions will apply

to the normal adult skills later in life.

Which means they'll have a leg up skillwise on Sims

that you've created directly in a later life state.

Adolescent Sims are more unpredictable than ever, too,

going through phases and mood swings

and acne and hormones

that make their emotions go wild to a degree

that they often can't really control.

And if there's more than one kid in the house...

Oh, man, watch out,

because sibling rivalries are a thing

and competition between friends has increased by a lot.

Goading about interests,

teasing about crushes,

arguing about arguing,

sneaking a peek at each other's private journals.

It's all here and it get loud.

The effect is that growing older becomes

more of an impactful process of learning,

unlearning and experimenting with life,

rather than just a bunch of time slots

to fill up with random activity

until it's time to blow out some birthday cake candles.

Younger Sims will learn to love,

to hate, to hug,

to create, to fight,

to make up, to make out,

to make the best of their current situation,

or to give up and give in

to the mopier side of existence.

In short, it's a lot like life,

and I really appreciate the effort

that went into making each interaction

a bit more meaningful to their development.

It's not completely game changing, exactly.

I mean, they're still inching forward to the same goals

and life choices that await any Sim in the game later on.

But the journey has been augmented in such a way

that helps you as the player feel more invested in them.

And that's just from the kid's point of view.

Character Values are also important

from the caregiver's side of things

because they now have a new skill called Parenting.

This works like a normal skill

in that it increases the more you use it,

but it holds a bit more weight

in that it directly affects the future lives

of other, younger Sims.

Each of those interactions a child makes

can be scolded, encouraged,

reprimanded, or otherwise commented on

by Sims with the Parenting skill.

You can pretty much guess how it goes.

"Stop splashing in the pee-filled toilet water!"

"Do your homework before bedtime!"

"Come set the table before dinner."

"Don't talk to me in that tone of voice!"

"Don't fart in my face while I sleep!"

That kind of thing.

And if they continually screw up,

you can choose from a variety of sumptuous grounding options,

like taking away tech

and limiting access to friends.

Which in turn leads to a variety

of sneaky stuff for kids to skirt around them.

Ah, yes, stealthy booger jokes.

That's the name of my next band.

There are also new activities to enjoy

alongside your kids, if you so desire.

Like building non-Lego Lego kits

and assembling class projects

that can and will affect their educational future

as well as the relationships with whoever they're building with.

And sometimes younglings will approach parents

for help with problems in life.

Like solving arguments with friends,

seeking out beauty tips,

and dealing with inferiority complexes,

each one presented

as a learning opportunity question

with multiple answers.

They've also introduced volunteering your time

into the game,

which can be done as a family

as yet another learning opportunity.

It's sadly just kind of a rabbit hole situation

where Sims choose what they want to do,

disappear for a bit,

you click a text box question or two,

and then they return with altered Character Values.

Kind of a neat idea, I suppose,

but it's about the least engaging way

to alter a kid's character values.

It's pretty hands off.

But regardless of the methods you use,

it's up to caregivers to provide all sorts of feedback

and moral support

to help younger Sims grow up in a way

that best fits societal norms,

since each response you make to them

will result in one of their Character Values

increasing or decreasing.

This in turn leads to the child growing up

more or less how you desire.

And yes, that means that you can also be

a real jerk to them and kind of ruin their lives!

Well, to a degree.

You can't abuse them so much as you can mislead them.

And just generally get up in their face

and shouty and yelling and swearing,

which is a thing Sims can do now.

Especially if your Sim has traits like Evil, or hates kids.

You can also just mess with them.

Like convincing them that monsters are out to get them

or science is a fraud and the earth is actually just flat.

Just be careful with that last one.

Life is stranger than fiction these days.

All this to say that whether you're good to the kids

or really bad to the kids,

playing as the adult in this pack

gives you a lot of power.

I haven't played through to see what would happen

if you don't influence them at all,

but the influence that you do have

is pretty absolute.

Now if you're like me, you might be thinking that

this isn't all how parenting actually works.

Parents' interactions are definitely not the only thing

guiding a child's development in real life,

but in the Parenthood pack, that's pretty much how it goes.

It's a downright simplistic approach, when you think about it.

I mean, where are the outside forces at play?

What about the local environments,

socioeconomic status

and the kids' mental or physical predispositions?

And even when your Sims do turn out quote-unquote "badly,"

it's in the same lighthearted silly way

that you always get in The Sims 4.

where Sims with negative traits

simply act a little kooky,

but otherwise live a normal, prosperous life

with the same exact opportunities as everyone else.

Almost none of the heavier outcomes of bad parenting

or uncontrollable external influences

on children's development are touched on here.

And that's not exactly a negative point,

it's just something I noticed.

If anything, it's a credit to the Parenthood pack

that it made me think about caring for the development

of a young human

and the multiple forces at play that seek to thwart that,

whether directly or indirectly.

It's just a fun little pack

doing some fun little things,

and that's okay!

Even if I still personally desire

a few more wrenches thrown into my gameplay here and there

to challenge my own carefully laid plans,

because otherwise it can get a little boring and predictable.

Yet it still makes the life changes leading up to adulthood

in The Sims measurably more engaging

and worth playing through,

something that's been long awaited by many Simmers