What is The Sims 4 Parenthood game pack?
Parenthood is a game pack about raising children. It came out on May 30, 2017. It adds the Parenting skill, five character values, curfews, school projects, and childhood phases. The choices of the parents change the traits of the children when they grow up.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Pack type | Game pack |
| Release date | May 30, 2017, on PC and Mac. June 19, 2018, on PS4 and Xbox One. |
| Price | $19.99 on Steam. The EA page shows no price until you add the pack to the cart. |
| New skill | Parenting, for young adults and older, with 10 levels |
| Character values | Manners, Responsibility, Empathy, Emotional Control, and Conflict Resolution |
| Aspiration | Super Parent, with the Role Model reward trait |
| Objects | Family bulletin board, private journal, block table, doctor playsets, and school projects |
| Items | 88 Build Mode items and 55 Create-a-Sim items |
| Needs | The Sims 4 base game and all game updates |
We took the PC date, the item counts, and the needs from the EA page. We opened it on October 27, 2026. The price is from Steam on the same day. The console date is from Deku Deals. The other facts are from SimsVIP and Game Rant.
How does the Parenting skill work?
The Parenting skill controls how well a Sim guides children. Only young adults and older Sims can learn it. Raise it when you care for children, read Parenting skill books, or talk with other parents.
Higher levels unlock more ways to guide children. SimsVIP lists these steps:
- Level 1: encourage good behavior and ask children to clean up.
- Level 4: give time-outs. A time-out lasts 30 minutes.
- Level 5: ground a child for one day at a time.
- Level 9: every attempt to change a child’s behavior succeeds.
- Level 10: Full Parent Mode, which slows the parent’s own need decay.
Children and teens can disobey a time-out or a grounding. Parents can also discipline children who are not their own. For the other skills in the game, read our Sims 4 skills guide.
What are character values in Sims 4 Parenthood?
Character values are five scores that show how a young Sim grows up. They appear in the Simology panel when a baby ages up to a toddler. Each value goes from negative to positive. Everyday actions move the values, and parental praise moves them too.
| Value | Raise it | Lower it |
|---|---|---|
| Manners | Set the table and clean up after meals. Say please and thank you. | Burp, fart, or shout forbidden words |
| Responsibility | Bring home an A grade, finish school projects, put toys away | Bring home a D grade, make a mess, break curfew |
| Empathy | Play with the doctor playset, use friendly socials | Troll the forums, yell at other Sims |
| Emotional Control | Play with emotions with the toy box toys, write in a journal | Shove other Sims, throw tantrums |
| Conflict Resolution | Fix a bad relationship between two other Sims, apologize | Declare an enemy, argue |
The Sims Community writer found Responsibility the easiest value to raise. Conflict Resolution was the hardest, because it needs a bad relationship between two other Sims.
Do not praise bad behavior. Praise pushes a value in the direction of the action, so praise for a burp lowers Manners.
What traits do character values give adults?
Each value can give a permanent trait when a teen ages up to a young adult. The values then disappear. Snooty Sims says the value must be at 90% or more at one end to give the trait.
| Value | High trait | Low trait |
|---|---|---|
| Manners | Good Manners: polite, cleans up dishes, makes friends faster | Bad Manners: rude, fails friendly socials more often |
| Responsibility | Responsible: works hard, sometimes gets job performance boosts | Irresponsible: skips work or school, ignores chores and bills |
| Empathy | Compassionate: supports others and dislikes being mean | Insensitive: does not care about the feelings of others |
| Emotional Control | Emotional Control: gets rid of bad emotions faster | Uncontrolled Emotions: has longer bad moods and makes others tense |
| Conflict Resolution | Mediator: fixes fights and repairs relationships | Argumentative: wants to be right and apologizes badly |
Compare them with the normal traits in our list of Sims 4 traits. The Super Parent aspiration asks for children that reach young adulthood with at least three positive values. Its reward trait, Role Model, makes nearby younger Sims gain values faster.
How do chores, curfews, and rules work in Parenthood?
Chores in Parenthood are normal household tasks that raise values. The guides we read describe no chore list that you assign. Take out the trash, brush teeth, and clean up the toy box to raise Responsibility. Set the table and clean up after meals to raise Manners.
Curfews are the main house rule. Follow these steps to set one:
- Buy the family bulletin board. It is in the Recreation section of Build Mode.
- Click the board with a young adult or older Sim.
- Select “Set Curfew” and choose 7 PM, 9 PM, or 11 PM.
The curfew lasts until 6 AM the next day. A Sim who is away from home when curfew is near gets a text reminder. Each action away from home during curfew breaks it and lowers Responsibility.
The game does not punish a broken curfew on its own. The parent decides what to do. Choose “Discipline Recent Behavior” in the Parenting menu, even if the parent did not see it. Talk calmly, express disappointment, or yell. For repeat offenses, give a time-out or a grounding.
What does Parenthood add for children and teens?
Parenthood adds phases, school projects, and new activities for children and teens. Phases are short, random changes in behavior. SimsVIP lists these:
- Children and teens: Picky Eater, Rebellious, Mean Streak, and Loud.
- Children only: Clingy and I’m a Bear!
- Teens only: Distant.
School projects come home with children and teens. SimsVIP counts 7 types, such as Robotics and Chemical Reaction Volcano. Up to four Sims can help with one. Return the project to school for a better grade.
Teens can also get random mood swings. They can volunteer with the phone and make sack lunches. Children ask their parents life questions, and the answers change their values. Siblings get new interactions and can play together at the block table.
Every feature in the pack needs children in the house. Read how to have a baby in Sims 4 to start a family first.
Is Sims 4 Parenthood worth it?
Parenthood is worth it if you raise families over many generations. Destructoid gave it 9 out of 10. The reviewer said that at $20, the pack is worth more than many $40 expansion packs.
The Sims Community review liked the hidden depth and the new sibling interactions. It did not like the small number of toddler clothes or the lack of bunk beds. On Steam, some players suggest you buy it together with the later Growing Together pack.
It is less useful if your Sims live alone, because the features need children. See our list of every Sims 4 expansion pack for other options. Or try the Sims 4 pack picker.
What mistakes do new Parenthood players make?
- They praise bad behavior. Praise moves the value in the direction of the action, so it can lower a value.
- They forget the 90% rule. A value in the middle gives no trait at young adult.
- They set a curfew and never discipline. The game does not punish a broken curfew, so the parent must act.
- They ignore Conflict Resolution. It is the hardest value to raise, so start early.
- They use cheats too soon. A value cheat only stays if you use it shortly before the teen ages up.
If you want to change values or traits fast, see our list of Sims 4 cheats.
Where does LifeSim fit?
LifeSim is a free life sim in your browser and on iPhone. It is set in a real city on a 3D map of Earth. You live one life, day by day, and the people talk back and remember you. It has no Parenting skill and no packs to buy. If you want control of a whole family, The Sims 4 fits better. If you want people who answer in their own words, read games like The Sims or what LifeSim is.
Questions
Is Parenthood on PS4 and Xbox One?
Yes. It came out on PS4 and Xbox One on June 19, 2018. Deku Deals lists it on the PlayStation Store and the Microsoft Store.
Can teens set the curfew?
No. Only a young adult or older Sim can set or change the curfew on the family bulletin board.
Do character values work on toddlers?
Yes. The values appear when a baby ages up to a toddler. They stay until the teen becomes a young adult.
What is the max level of the Parenting skill?
The max level is 10. At level 10, the parent gets Full Parent Mode. Use stats.set_skill_level AdultMajor_Parenting 10 to max it with cheats.
Is Parenthood a game pack or an expansion pack?
It is a game pack. Steam sells it for $19.99. Read how to install Sims 4 packs after you buy it.
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Sources
- EA: The Sims 4 Parenthood
- Steam: The Sims 4 Parenthood
- SimsVIP: The Sims 4 Parenthood Guide
- Game Rant: The Sims 4 Parenthood complete guide
- Game Rant: How to set and enforce curfews
- GGRecon: The Sims 4 Parenthood character values cheats
- TheGamer: Things to know before you buy Parenthood
- Snooty Sims: The Sims 4 character values cheat
- Sims Community: Learn about character values
- Sims Community: Parenthood character values
- Sims Community: The Sims 4 Parenthood review
- Destructoid: Review of The Sims 4 Parenthood
- Deku Deals: The Sims 4 Parenthood
- Steam Community: Growing Together discussion