Setting boundaries and instilling discipline are often crucial for successful parenting in both the virtual and real worlds. Just like in real life, parenting is no easy feat and can shape a Sim's childhood and life in the future. In the expansive realm of The Sims 4, players can use their imaginations to set curfews for their households or enforce them using gameplay.
Explore the intricacies of setting curfews and the methods caregivers can use to enforce them. Depending on desired parenting styles, there are several different approaches to handling and disciplining children for breaking curfew rules. Discover the scenarios in which Sims might defy curfews and the parameters for sneaking out of the house, prompting the need for disciplinary action.
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How To Access Curfew Options
With The Sims 4: Parenthood, adult Sims can develop their parenting skills to praise their children for good behavior and discipline their poor choices. To keep children and teenage Sims safe inside their homes, parents can impose curfews with the Family Bulletin Board from Build/Buy mode.
This object can be found under the "Recreation" section of the "Activities and Skills" item menu. It comes in seven different color swatches, each with a clock, markers, a chore chart, and magnets. Along with curfew settings, family members can leave notes or drawings for others living in the household to improve their relationship and communication.
How To Set Curfews
After entering Live mode, players should click on the bulletin board and select "Set Curfew..." There are three different options for curfews, including 7:00 PM, 9:00 PM, and 11:00 PM. The Sim will interact with the board to set the curfew. Hovering over the board should remind players of the time that is set. Another indication of the curfew is the color of the clock on the board.
Before curfew, the clock will remain yellow, which signifies that anyone is free to leave - with permission, of course. The clock will turn orange one hour before the curfew starts. In addition, Sims who are outside the household lot more than 20 minutes before curfew will receive a text message from their caregiver (or from the family pet, oddly enough) that the curfew is about to start and they should head home. When the clock is red, it is past curfew. The curfew will stay in effect until 6:00 AM the next day.
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Sims with strict parenting styles and family dynamics or those especially defiant children might consider the earlier curfew options. The 11:00 PM curfew might be best for parenting teenagers with a prominent social life. Parents can remove or adjust the curfew, but not during the hours when the curfew is present. To abide by curfew, children and teenagers should be inside the home by this time. If not, they must face the consequences.
How To Discipline For Breaking Curfew
If a Sim even sets foot outside the parameters of the lot, every interaction that they perform will be in defiance of the curfew. Players will constantly be reminded of this breach by the "[Breaks Curfew]" warning next to all available interactions. In addition to the guilt (or thrill) they receive from breaking curfew, they will also gradually lose their character values in responsibility. If they don't improve their responsibility before they age up, they could gain the irresponsible trait, which could affect future performance in work and school.
Even if the parent is not physically there to see their child breaking curfew, they will still have the option to discipline them. Under the "Parenting" interaction menu, select "Discipline Recent Behavior." This will bring up all the poor choices the Sim has recently made. There are a handful of different ways parents can address the situation, including calm, firm, or strict approaches, as wells as options for punishment.
For first-time offenders, some caregivers may consider calmly asking not to break curfew again or "Hug It Out." A more firm or strict approach might be to "Express Disappointment" or "Yell At For Breaking Curfew." Repeat violators may be met with a time-out or a grounding that lasts one Sim day. Parents can ground their children by taking away technology like the TV, computer, or phone. They can also forbid them from leaving the home or seeing friends. Hopefully, they will get the message and do better next time.
The Sims 4
- Released
- September 2, 2014
