Child not getting Invisible Friend in the mail

[Benie]

I've decided to buy the EP after all of that debate, but I mainly got it for his son to have more to do. Now, I've read that the IF shows up when a baby is born. Yet that baby is now a Child, and he's not receiving his IF.

The flag is up on the mailbox, but the only option is "Send Love Letter to...", and this is with my parent Sims. I haven't tried to reset the house or reset the kid. Or does he not get one, because I waited too long?
Overall, I do like the EP, especially the new TV types; those were a surprise to me.

[Dellena]

If you didn't have the expansion when the child was born, I think you're out of luck.  It appears in the mail the day after the baby is born.

[Pam]

A child doesn't always get an invisible friend doll in the mail.  It's just not a 100% guaranteed thing.  In my experience, the doll comes probably 50% to 75% of the time.  My current game has two toddlers and only one of them has the doll.  Also, is this a game that you were already playing?  If that's the case, there definitely wouldn't be an invisible friend for your Sim.  It only comes at birth.  If you were to have another baby in your game, you might get one.

[Benie]

Ah, I see. So it's pretty much what I had thought. And yes, this is a game I'm already playing.

[RunAmokSims]

I can't say that this is infallible but it does increase your odds of getting an IF.  Try to have the baby born on a day where there will be mail delivery the next day.  I've found that if I have a baby on a Saturday, since there is no mail delivery on Sunday, that child almost never gets an IF.  When trying to get an IF I try to plan births so they fall on Monday through Thursday.  The mailman should deliver a package the next day. As I said though it's not infallible. Sometimes in the case of twins or triplets not all the kids get an IF.

[Benie]

Interesting thought, and I was considering of them having another child. But, is there a possible way to cheat in the Imaginary Friend doll so I can give him one, since I took too long from the child's birth?
Just feels unfair to deprive him of one, and he was born during the week.

[LivvieLove]

Interesting thought, and I was considering of them having another child. But, is there a possible way to cheat in the Imaginary Friend doll so I can give him one, since I took too long from the child's birth?
Just feels unfair to deprive him of one, and he was born during the week.

I don't believe so. Even if you did manage to get the toy in the child's inventory you won't be able to make it an Imaginary Friend - it requires a LOT of play time as a toddler for the doll to turn into an Imaginary Friend. You'll get two notifications one will say something like: (Toddler's name) seems to be taking a liking to (Imaginary Friends name, which you can change - and control the gender), maybe one day they'll become special friends!
The other one will be along the lines of: (I.F.'s name) seems to have become a special toy for (toddler name). Blah blah blah (I can't remember the rest of how that goes).

The first one triggers after a few minutes of play with the doll, the second one triggers after a long time playing with the doll (I believe someone told me a couple of days need to go by with the toddler playing with the doll). You must have both triggered for the doll to become an imaginary friend, otherwise it will just remain a doll throughout all of childhood/teendom on to adult even. And you can't get rid of the doll either unless you cheat and delete it.

[Shirin]

You can also gift the doll away to dispose of it.

In my Life States Dynasty, all of the children (heir or not) born in Lucky Palms did not get an IF. At all. The two born in Sunset Valley after I moved the family did, though. I had thought it might have to do with the towns, but it doesn't, as I know other people have successfully gotten a doll in Lucky Palms.