What do you do with your Elderly Sims?

[MissYuna4ever]

Just wondering what other simmers do with their sims once they reach the final age stage. I personally don't like this age stage as I often feel they have nothing left to do - they lead a good life as a YA and Adult etc, so what else is there left to do?

Admittly, I have had one sim that I become very attached to during the game as she achieved things I have never done before in the game such as cook ambrosia and achieve various skill challenges. I loved her to pieces an when she became an elder it was sad - She basically cooked and cleaned the house everyday over and over again. She occassionally helped with the grandchild but generally the parents cared for them

I ended up bringing her back to life as a playable ghost as I got the opportunity and she did start to lead a more 'active' lifestyle compared to her elder years.

[kattiq]

It's always hard when one of your favorite sims eventually dies Usually when they reach elder status I get them to do odds and end things around the house that the younger sims don't have time to do. Especially like gardening because that can take up a whole day if it's big enough! I also get the collection helper and make them run around finding collectibles. That way they don't end up being completely useless.

[Joria]

Being officially and "elder",  I have my elder Sims do all the things they wanted to do when they were younger and were too busy just getting through life to be able to do.  They take new classes, go on very long vacations and do ALL the tombs, they try new career paths, they learn all kinds of skills.  Of course, it means I have to keep the ambrosia flowing but that's no problem.  My oldest Sim owns three vacation mansions and fully enjoys all three with her family or without.  She's even remarried several times to the handsome adult guy in town.  Hasn't found one that she wants to feed ambrosia too, however.

Don't rule your elders out just because they've got wrinkled and are a bit slower to do things.  Inside their head and heart they are just as young as always and a whole lot smarter than before.  Take the time to learn from them and you'll find yourself really blessed.

[BellaClo]

I usually give them their freedom back.

I find that I control my Sims a lot most of the time; the advantage is that they are high in the green bubble and happy. But they also spend most of their time running after skills, jobs and so on, it's a very "goal oriented" life. So, when they reach their elder age, I find it nice to let them do everything they want: spend the day in their pj's, drown themselves at the bar, watch tv or play computer games. Anything is good if that's their choice. They usually end up having an affair with the sprinklers though.

What I find nice is that their personalities show up much more when they are on free wheel. Often, they also spend a lot of time flirting and romancing their life partner. And I always find this so sweet.

[bamjo92]

That way they don't end up being completely useless.

LOL! haha! harsh. So true!

[kattiq]

LOL! haha! harsh. So true!

Yikes, yeah that was a little harsh. I guess I was referring to the bunch of elders you have during the Dynasties. It's hard to find things for all of them to do since they pretty much completed everything  during their YA and Adult years!
I do however love the way Joria described how she plays the Elders, I never thought to actually make them feisty!

[MissYuna4ever]

Wow, I've never really thought about letting them have free-will as I can be very controlling with them although they do get a lot more free-will if the household is big as I tend to focus on a couple of sims at a time.

Joria - Your elders must feel so happy and I think that's a great way to treat them.

[Joria]

My elders are a lot of fun but do spend a good deal of time rolling their eyes at the younger generations.  lol

[Katluvr]

My elder sims are mostly immortal because I'm playing immortal dynasty games.  They go to a lot of parties - they are quite the social butterflies.  Some of them keep working and I let them retire if they roll the wish to.  I have one who likes to pick fights with the rest of her family and harrass the world with her cane, but she has the Evil trait so I think that has a lot to do with it.

Mostly I just let them do whatever they want to do because I've controlled them all the way up to that point.

[xFezIsAFreakx]

I am yet to have an elder, but my first will be Taylor Dreamer in my legacy - the founder's spouse who I created in CAS and is probably the hottest sim ever, so it'll be a shame to lose his looks. xD I will probably actually really cry when he dies, I really am very attached to him and all my sims. I am so attached to my founder that I made her drink the Young Again potion so she'd never, ever age and never die! xD When Taylor gets to elder I reckon I will make him do everything he never had the time to when he was younger, and treat him a bit like Joria treats her elders! I don't like the idea of leaving the elders to do all the boring stuff - it can be efficient but.. those poor elders! When I'm an elder, I want to be living the last years of my life doing all the fun stuff, and so my sims shall have it that way as well.

..I take this stuff way too seriously. xD

[iCastl]

I usually stop playing a game when my favorite sim reaches the elder stage... It just gets so boring! Right now I'm playing the immortal dynasty challenge though so I can't really do that; what I'm doing with my elders so far is keep them in their careers making money to upgrade the house, developing the painting skill to keep up with the museum and having them clean, garden and fish.

I admit, its been tough for me.

[bamjo92]

Being officially and "elder",  I have my elder Sims do all the things they wanted to do when they were younger and were too busy just getting through life to be able to do.  They take new classes, go on very long vacations and do ALL the tombs, they try new career paths, they learn all kinds of skills.  Of course, it means I have to keep the ambrosia flowing but that's no problem.  My oldest Sim owns three vacation mansions and fully enjoys all three with her family or without.  She's even remarried several times to the handsome adult guy in town.  Hasn't found one that she wants to feed ambrosia too, however.

Don't rule your elders out just because they've got wrinkled and are a bit slower to do things.  Inside their head and heart they are just as young as always and a whole lot smarter than before.  Take the time to learn from them and you'll find yourself really blessed.

Thats awesome, I mean "AWE-INSPIRING". Almost tear inducing, granted Im up at midnight throwing -up from my stomach bug so my emotions may be off, But I want to be one of your elders. Better yet, this is going to be my RL goal.  I love Bella Clo too!  "drown themselves in the bar"

[MoMoll]

I let them do as they please and sometimes for fun use their traits to have them do things I didn't let them do when they were younger. Such as: mean spirited sim picking fights for no reason; flirty sims flirting with some young adults; etc.

I also have their life span shortened, so they have to get as much fun in as they can before Grim comes.

[Joria]

I let them do as they please and sometimes for fun use their traits to have them do things I didn't let them do when they were younger. Such as: mean spirited sim picking fights for no reason; flirty sims flirting with some young adults; etc.

I also have their life span shortened, so they have to get as much fun in as they can before Grim comes.

OMG!  That's rather like pulling the plug on them.  Poor dears.  Now for me, anyone decides to pull any plug and I'll come back and HAUNT them!  lol  Just because you are chronologically "elder", doesn't mean you have to quit or not have a life of your choosing. I'm 72 and play Sims3 for heaven's sake, and help create wonderful places for you guys to play in.  Don't give up on your old folks.  We just wanna have fun!  (Song, "Girls, just wanna have fun" running through my head at the moment. lol)

[WickedSimmer87]

When i have elders, i make a underground quarter suite for them, including skill items, then i usually make them quit their jobs and make take part time as grocery (due the work hours=3hrs,5 times a week, free weekends) simply to have more time for them to stay home to skill up and prevent them from stir crazy moodlet