Athletic Skill for Kids?

[BlueJay91]

Hello everyone! I was looking through Carl's raising children guide, and noted the three skills it says kids cannot gain: Gardening, Charisma, and Guitar. All of them make sense, since children cannot do more than view plants, they cannot have the charismatic trait until teen, and the guitar is also unplayable. Since one of my children has the Athletic trait, I thought she could do some nice workouts and gain athletic skill.

I believe I was wrong. Everytime my child either works out infront of the tv, the stereo, or in the pool, there is no skill bar ontop of her head. Respectively, there is no rising skill bar for playing catch or playing on the playground either. I can't find anywhere an explanation to this except that a child cannot gain Athletic skill, or it's a bug. Help?

[wildredchild]

I believe they will get those gains in skill when they turn into teens.  I am not 100 % certain of this, so if someone knows for sure, chime in please.

[Caitie]

I don't think kids can gain athletic skill, either.  Which also makes sense.  How many 'tween bodybuilders do you know of? 

[samoht04]

I think they just work out and get fit but it has an influence on their later skill development.

[Carl]

Hmm, interesting indeed. I added this to the page about children, but left some doubt as to whether it'll help them later or not. If anyone comes up with more conclusive information I'd certainly like to know.

[BlueJay91]

I'll try this out in the next few nights and let you know.  I'll get a kid with Athletic and a kid without Athletic to work out, and we'll see the results.

[wildredchild]

Have them toss the ball to each other and only with each other then age them up to teens and have them play one more time.  That should show if and how much the skill is influenced by childhood 'athletics'.

[LaB]

I've had my child work out to music or tv or swimming and when they've turned into a teenager, they have a few bars in the athletic skill.