When Sims 4 was first released in 2014, it came without a toddler life stage, let alone a Sims 4 toddler skills guide. Much to fan’s disappointment as the life stage had been a part of the game since the Sims 2. For the next couple of years, fans continued to express their disappointment in the lack of toddler life stage. EA listened, and in 2017 they released toddlers into the game using a patch. Along with toddlers came specific toddler objects like beds, toys, high chairs, and potty chairs.
The Sims 4 version of toddlers came with a pretty big update and a more fleshed-out toddler-specific skill tree and family interactions. In Sims 2 and 3, toddlers only had three basic skills, learn to speak, learn to walk, and potty training.
All of these skills had to be taught by an older adult. In Sims 4, toddlers are given five basic skills that later translate into others skills once they age into adults. Additionally, toddlers are much more independent when it comes to learning certain skills, as they can be gained by playing with toys or watching TV.
Sims 4 Toddler Skills Guide: Toddler Traits
Traits are only available to toddlers and are lost once a toddler grows up; they also affect how toddlers act and how they learn. There are eight toddlers’ traits, each with their own behaviors and abilities.
- Angelic toddlers won’t throw tantrums or speak to strangers. In general, they are very sweet and easy kids to raise. The only downside is the lack of skill boosts included in this trait.
- Charmer toddlers are more social and make friends easily. They can don’t panic or get upset when around strangers. This translates well for the communication skill and a sim child you want to be extremely social.
- Clingy toddlers prefer being around their parents or those that they know well; they get upset and panic when near strangers or outside by themselves. A clingy toddler will need their parents to help them gain skills faster and recover from negative emotions quicker.
- Fussy toddlers cry and get upset easily for simple reasons. They are easily influenced by attention from others, especially their parents. When given attention, their negative moodlets will recover quicker.
- Independent toddlers like to do this on their own and in their own time. They require less attention and gain skills faster when left to their own devices. This is my personal favorite toddler trait, as they can potty train themselves.
- Inquisitive toddlers like to learn and gain thinking skills faster than other toddlers. They get upset if they haven’t learned something new in a while.
- Silly toddlers like to play and gain the imagination skill faster when playing. They also become playful quite easily.
- Wild toddlers are very active and like to run around. They gain the movement skill faster than other toddlers but get upset if they can’t go outside regularly.
Communication
Communication is a toddler’s ability to talk to those around them and themselves. The communication skill corresponds directly with a child’s social skills. If a toddler maxes out the communication skill before aging up into a child, they will start with a level 2 social and be 6%away from a level 3 social skill.
This allows children to start grade school with a level 3 social skill. Toddlers gain communication skills by babbling to themselves, talking to older sims or stuffed animals, being taught how to talk using flashcards by an older sim, and watching videos on the wabbit tablet.
The wabbit tablet and Blarffy the bear or one of his counterparts are two very useful items to have for toddlers. Children can also use Blarffy, so it can be used across ages and shared between all children and toddlers. As a toddler gains communication skills, they will unlock new interactions and abilities.
- Level 1- There are no unlockables for this level.
- Level 2- Toddlers unlock the ability to hug or hit things and the ability to learn about animals using flashcards.
- Level 3- Toddlers unlock the ability to talk about toys, trucks, nonsense, and the ability to yell.
- Level 4- Toddlers are able to talk about parties, favorite animals and tell knock-knock jokes.
- Level 5- Toddlers are able to tell normal stories, goofy stories, and talk about dinosaurs.
Imagination
Imagination helps toddlers learn to play, read and appreciate music. The imagination skill corresponds with a child’s creativity skill. If a toddler maxes out the skill, they will age with a level 2 creativity skill and be 6% away from getting a level 3 skill.
This often takes care of the initial grade requirements to get a B. Toddlers can gain the imagination skill by playing with toys and dolls, playing with their parents, listening to music, and reading toddler books. Many items in the game are geared towards imagination, including dolls, houses, various toys, the wabbit tablet, and watching TV with a parent. Parents are also able to read to their toddlers and read them to sleep to help boost this skill.
- Level 1- No unlockables for this level
- Level 2- Toddlers gain the ability to look at pictures in toddler books and play dollhouse with other sims.
- Level 3- Toddlers gain the ability to name their toys, dolls, and other stuffed animals.
- Level 4- Toddlers are able to read toddler books on their own.
- Level 5- Toddler will unlock the ability to read art.
Movement
Movement is all about a Toddlers ability to walk, climb stairs, and in general get themselves around the house. Toddlers start with the ability to walk, although they are incredibly clumsy and often stumble around.
They also can’t use the stairs at first, requiring a sim to carry them down, but the ability does unlock. The movement skill directly corresponds to a child’s motor skill, allowing them, like the other skills, to have a level 2 motor skill and be 6% away from a level 3. Toddlers can gain movement skills by walking around, playing with adults, dancing, playing their blocks, playing on toddler playground equipment like the ball pit and jungle gym. They can also play blicblock babies on their wabbit tablet to learn movement skills.
- Level 1- There are no unlockables for this level.
- Level 2- Toddlers unlock the ability to climb stairs and wrestle with adults.
- Level 3- Toddlers are able to walk faster and dance to music.
- Level 4- Toddlers unlock the ability to run and build towers with their blocks.
- Level 5- Toddlers can climb stairs faster and easier.
Thinking
The thinking skill focuses on a toddler’s ability to learn and control their emotions. It also helps them listen to the adult in their life, misbehave less, and their ability to care for their own needs. It also affects a toddler’s ability to sleep through the night without a nightlight.
Toddlers and children are very prone to getting nightmares or believing there is a monster under the bed. This skill directly corresponds with their mental skill, allowing a child to age up with a level 2 mental skill if they max it out. A toddler can improve this skill by using flashcards with an older sim, using the interaction ‘what’s this?’ objects, using blocks to make shapes, and playing SimShape on their wabbit tablet.
- Level 1- There are no unlockables for this level.
- Level 2- Toddlers unlock the ability to learn shaves by playing with the nesting blocks, and they will defy their parents less.
- Level 3- Toddlers unlock the ability to learn numbers through flashcards. They will also begin sleeping better during the night.
- Level 4- Toddlers will be able to ask older sim ‘why?’ and they will no longer splash in the toilet.
- Level 5- Toddlers will now sleep through the night most of the time and defy their parents even less.
Potty
The potty skill is a bit different than other toddler skills because it doesn’t carry over or affect the child once they age up, and the skill stops at level 3. However, this skill allows toddlers to have a lot more independence once they have maxed it out.
Now they will be able to take care of their potty needs on their own with only a sim needing to clean the potty chair. When a toddler starts with the potty chair, they will not be able to use it on their own. Instead, an adult sim must take them to the potty chair and supervise them. If a toddler has the independent trait, then they can use the potty chair on their own right away.
Once a toddler reaches level 2 of the skill, they can use the potty chair on their own and without supervision, but they will still use their diaper if their bladder is low. When they max out the skill at level 3, they will also use the potty chair instead of their diaper unless there is no potty chair available or full autonomy is disabled.
FAQ
Question: How does the Parenthood pack affect toddlers?
Answer: The Parenthood pack introduces a more in-depth look at parenting in the Sims 4 by introducing character values for toddlers, children, and teenagers.
The character values influence how your sim will grow up and the type of traits they will have. Toddlers are mostly affected by the ability to go through different phases and the new discipline methods that affect character values. The pack doesn’t have much effect on skills, but it does allow for your sim to influence their toddler to work on a specific skill or do a specific action.
Question: What cheats can I use to automatically max my toddler’s skills out?
Answer:
Statistic_Skill_Toddler_Communication X
Statistic_skill_toddler_imagination X
Statistic_skill_toddler_movement X
Statistic_skill_toddler_potty X –
Statistic_skill_toddler_thinking X
Replace x with the skill level you want your toddler to have. Each skill level maxes out at 5 except for the potty skill, which maxes out at 3.
Question: What do I do with my toddler when my sim goes to work or wants to do something fun?
Answer: You can either hire a nanny to take care of your toddler sim, or you can send your sim to daycare. A nanny charades a base fee of 60 simoleons with an additional 10 simoleons an hour. Daycare is free, and your toddler will occasionally learn skills at daycare as well.
Final Thoughts
Sims 4 toddler skills allow players to prioritize and focus on specific skills they want their sim to develop when they grow older. It also makes them more well-rounded and life-like compared to toddlers from other games who were limited in both skills and actions.
The game also doesn’t punish you for not maxing out all of the skills and instead rewards you for what you do completely with each toddler. Overall the game’s approach to toddlers is much more in-depth and enjoyable compared to the game’s predecessors. The life stage, while late, stays true to the goals of the game by being more emotionally and personality focused allowing for a more immersive experience.