Introduction

A few days have passed since Giselle became a child. Elizabeth's sudden death overshadowed events. Shortly before Elizabeth died, Ryan had evolved into an adult and immediately moved out. He now has a successful career with the Sim City Panthers. Our focus is now back on Giselle, who is already halfway on her way to becoming a teenager.

A Child's Life

Midway between a the toddler and a teen stages of life, a Child's Life lasts for 8 days. The Aspiration is still to grow up and has various wants and needs to fulfill.

A lot of what Giselle was playing with only yesterday is now obsolescent. Nobody in the house can use them. In this case, instead of selling them, they were put up in the attic. This way, if Doug and Anne have another child, which is something that Anne would not mind, there is still a crib and toys for her.

Education & Eating

All children have to go to school from Monday to Friday and bring back homework and a report card. The bus comes at 8am and returns at 3pm. Children cannot take part-time jobs.

If a child or teen misses a day at school, they lose an entire grade point. The same applies if they do not do two nights of homework. This means that if you began with a grade of B+, your grade drops to C+. In TS1, a child who missed the schoolbus could spend the day studying to try and make up for it. Apart from doing what homework - if any - is around the house, there is nothing that your truanting child can do.

I am yet to see it but if a child's grades drop too far, the social worker comes to take them away. The social worker also calls to take your child to a better life if their hunger or social need bars are seriously neglected.

Giselle has been attending school every day and doing her homework on time. She is now in the top stream with regular A+ report cards that she is very proud to show her parents. Perhaps she could be groomed to go to Private School. Sometimes, her friends come home from school with her. This is Marsha, who is one of the townies.

Whereas a lot of her toddler objects that helped her gain skill points are now obsolescent, she can now use a special oven where she can cook muffins on her own and learn how to cook. Her first offering isn't so successful. Better luck next time, Giselle.

While on the subject of eating, as well as baking muffins, your child can order in pizza and help herself to juice, chips (crisps) and cookies. For more satisfying meals, that is where teens, adults or elders have a part to play as your child sim cannot reach the stove.

While Giselle was a toddler, she learnt a few skill points from the xylophone. She is now continuing that learning by playing the piano. She seems to be quite impressed by her own academic learning as well.

Fun & Friendship

As well as friends coming back from school, friends can now telephone the house and ask to speak to Giselle. This is a good and easy way to help and maintain friends. They also sometimes turn up of their own accord. Giselle can also telephone her friends and choose to either talk to them or invite them over.

Giselle can now watch TV and dance or workout to music on the hi-fi. She can also play all other games. She can't go in the hot tub, though. However, as the Jones family have not bought one yet, it's no loss really.

Advance to Aspiration

Just when you are getting into the rhythm and are used to seeing Giselle as a child, you are informed that she's going to advance to being a teenager and that it might be an idea to satisfy as many of her wants as possible ... and stock up on acne cream.

And the day comes. The family hasn't had time to plan a party so she grows up of her own accord. During the transformation, you are asked about what aspiration you wish to have for the rest of your sim's life. This is a major decision and affects the wants or fears that your sim will have until the day the Grim Reaper calls for them.

Giselle chose the family aspiration as she had a desire to create a family life in her future. After the transformation takes place, you are informed about how well your sim did while they were a child. In Giselle's case, she has had a very successful life so far.

To be continued ...

Giselle feels she is turning into a carbon copy of her mother and there is no way she wants to do that. Her hairstyle and clothes really need changing and a trip to a community lot might be in order ... but that is for the next part.

Written at 02:43 on Wednesday 29 September 2004 by Andy.