Parenting Guide

[wildredchild]

"When you select the Peg Box or Xylophone and there s the red circle/slash next to Play (or is it Play With??) they can no longer gain points toward the Skills, though they can keep themselves happy"

This is incorrect.  The red circle/slash is in relation to traits that the Sim child has and not to do with gaining skill from it.  Every Sim toddler can earn traits from it for up to three times filling the learning bar above their head, then they can just play with it to keep happy.  I personally nailed this down during the Baby Boomer challenge.

[Carl]

fixed, thanks.

[Pam]

When you select the Peg Box or Xylophone and there s the red circle/slash next to Play (or is it Play With??) they can no longer gain points toward the Skills, though they can keep themselves happy

The only time I get the red circle/slash is when the toddler has a trait that counteracts the toy.  And honestly, it doesn't make much to me and I haven't been able to gather any solid proof.  But, for example, a toddler with the Genius trait will have the red circle/slash when I click on the peg box, which builds Logic skill.  It shows up even if the kid has never played with the peg box at all.  But even so, I can't figure out why a Genius wouldn't want to play with the peg box.  Even a Genius has to build Logic skill. 

As for being finished gaining skill on the toy, I don't ever see the circle/slash for that.  It still just says "Play."

[RCHaynes]

Thanks for the correction wild... at the time I noticed it, I had 3 sets of twins being toddlers at the same time (Cyclon3 Sw0rd is apparently a machine... ) I thought that I had them playing a while, and they then got this that made me think they were 'done' on that apparatus. I could easily have mistaken a trait/skill mis-match with the abscence of learning meters overhead.
I so thought I had this theory nailed....

[e^(pi*i)]

Just read this... for clarification, will the apples/watermelon thing REALLY affect the gender of the child? How has this been tested?

[Pam]

Yes, apples really do cause boys and watermelon causes girls.  I've tested it many times, and Carl has tested as well.  What other confirmation do you need?

[e^(pi*i)]

I just didn't know how much it's been tested. I totally love the guide and trust it fully, I was just curious basically how you figured it out. Was it just random guessing?

[Pam]

We had heard the rumors about apples causing boys and watermelon causing girls.  When I first found about this, I had been baffled as to why my Legacy Family had so many boys in each generation!  Then I realized that I had been feeding everyone apples as snacks because they are so easy to grow.  It certainly explained why I had so many boys.  As soon as I had pregnant mothers start eating watermelon instead, I started having girls.  I preferred girls, actually, because I think the toddlers are cuter than boys because of the little dresses they can wear.  Lol.  So, the last few generations of my Legacy Family are almost all female.  I've used this method with probably a 90% success rate when I want to have a particular gender.  For example, if the parents both want a girl, I feed watermelon and it works almost every time.

Carl did a little more of a scientific approach and tested by having a World Renowned Surgeon determine the gender of the unborn baby and try to change the gender by eating the opposite fruit.  I believe he was successful and he was able to confirm even further that apples will bring your Sim a boy and watermelon will bring a girl.  I think your pregnant Sim needs to eat at least three of the fruit to guarantee the gender.  Give it a try with your Sims and let us know how it goes! 

[e^(pi*i)]

Great, that's awesome, thanks. I'll do it the SECOND I get an opportunity to, but, unfortunately, my sims never have luck in the opposite gender. At least half of my sims turn out gay. I like to start 'em off as bachelors. I guess I could try a couple.

[samoht04]

I think I read on here that you can only eat apples or watermelons early on to decide the gender. If that is the case, it is incorrect.

It is only set in stone if you have a level 10 medical doctor find out the gender. If you then watch loads of kids tv and eat the other fruit, you may get multi-gender twins as GRAYCURSE got (First Ever Sims 3 Legacy).

[jmz95]

Okay, the thing about you have to feed the fruit to the woman before she starts showing is false, I think (don't quote me on it) you can eat it anytime during her pregnancy and the gender can still change.

[Pam]

The information about the fruit determining the gender early in the pregnancy came directly from Carl's testing.  He did use a level 10 medical doctor for the tests, so perhaps that was a factor in the outcome.  I've had a lot of luck with determining the gender when my Sim eats the fruit all through the pregnancy.  She eats watermelon every meal, sometimes.

[samoht04]

I think it all depends on if you have another method used - maybe he should try the multigender idea

Get Pregs
Have doctor tell gender
watch kids tv alot
eat the fruit for other gender

?

[Pam]

Actually, I can test that.  I just need to get myself a World Renowned Surgeon.  I'll see what I can do. 

[samoht04]

Just to speed things up a bit Pam! http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=1566688