Homeschooling your Sims Child

[maddyclyde9]

Does anyone else homeschool their child? If you get to, level 6 I think, of logic you can tutor sims.
If you only have 1 sim child, it can be quite useful; you set the school hours, so no waking up at 6:00 to catch the bus. But your Sim becomes quite unsocial as well.
Do you homeschool your child? 

[Joria]

Only in real life!  Next year high school and I'm bowing out.  It's been quite an adventure.

The only thing I've done with a Sims child is make sure the toddlers spend every waking moment reading everything age appropriate.  It won't let them read things that aren't.  I did try tutoring one child once but that young adult sim had a lot of other things to do to get to their LTW so I never pursued it further.  Is there a special technique?

[maddyclyde9]

Not really. I made the basement a school room though. You know, books, easel, that stuff.

[Joria]

This could really make a cute room or two and maybe even a challenge.  Imagine that your Sim family must be eco friendly and do the whole homeschool thing.  You must find a way to socialize well though but that could even be done within the context of a large family or via the internet.  Oregon is one of the best states in the US for homeschooling, by the way.  Our resources here are almost limitless and the community of homeschoolers, and the support, is huge.

This might be a bit more difficult to accomplish if you don't have Ambitions but I bet it could be a really cool challenge, especially if you did it with some modified legacy rules.  I'll have to think about this but I bet I could come up with a cool challenge or contest.

[Meurix]

Does homeschooling raise their grades, or does it just raise their skills?

[Pam]

Homeschooling may raise their skills but it won't do anything for their grades.  If they don't get on the bus and go to school, their grades will simply tank.  Then when it's time for the child to age up to teenager, you won't be allowed to choose his/her traits.  It's a cute idea for something different to do, but it won't work the same in-game as the children going to school.  And you have to be willing to sacrifice choosing that teenage trait, as well as the young adult trait if you continue the homeschooling for the teenagers.

[Asleep]

Then what's the point of tutoring?

[Asleep]

Oh, and by the way, Pam:
http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Logic#Abilities
The Sims Wiki says it does increase their school performance.

[Jonna]

What a funny idea!  Yes, tutoring a child will increase school performance (something that I had to do for the Baby Boomer II challenge to get the kids on the honor roll in time for their birthdays).  The question is, does it improve performance enough to offset the decrease in performance that the kid gets from not being in school?

[maddyclyde9]

I've done homeschooling. You can raise skills AND their performance.

[Pam]

I would think that to raise their school performance, they would have to go to school.  Maybe I'm wrong.

[Branr]

I would think that to raise their school performance, they would have to go to school.  Maybe I'm wrong.

When my twins first grew to children (on a Saturday), both parents had Logic high enough to tutor, and I wanted to get the Honor Roll wish out of the way as fast as possible, so the parents tutored both kids that weekend until they had A's for school when they went to their first day of school, and one made the honor roll on the first day easily (the other is a slacker and barely missed it).  With the exception of homework, I would say homeschooling was feasible.

[maddyclyde9]

I would think that to raise their school performance, they would have to go to school.  Maybe I'm wrong.

I have a kid who has never been to school. Happiest kid I've ever had

[Asleep]

I have a kid who has never been to school. Happiest kid I've ever had

That would sure make ME happy! 

[Joria]

That would sure make ME happy! 

Ummm, only until Mom says, "Get off of Sims and do your school work!  You have (fill in the number) pages to do today and I WILL be checking it with a red pencil in hand!"  Or, "No!  The latest book by Tamora Pierce is NOT on the required reading list!  Go get "Huckleberry Finn".  Or..." I paid a small fortune for that language set you'd best be practicing your (fill in name of foreign or classical language)."  My kid is sooooo happy she's going to high school next year!  (She doesn't realize 8 hours in school and 3 more at home for homework is not half as much fun as homeschool for 4 hours was.)

[TollingBells]

She dosen't know what she'll be missing, Joria. Man I hated school. Glad it's over with.  I think I'll try the tutoring thing, when Cory gets his logic up, and his sister's in high school. He's a genuis, but his siblings are not, so I think it'll be best if I help them in any way possible.

I was sort of wondering, how much do your guy's sim kids fight you on homework? I've had some fight me more than others.

[Metropolis Man]

I was sort of wondering, how much do your guy's sim kids fight you on homework? I've had some fight me more than others.

To be honest...never. If I click the homework in any child's inventory, they willingly sit down and get to work. Then again, I give all kids the Bookworm trait and that might be a side benefit — simply a willingness to do it. Once a child is out of school and ready to move on, then I'll do a Mid-Life Crisis on them for a different trait depending on their LTW. I'd still keep Bookworm for writers, doctors, etc.

[TollingBells]

I had a creative artist sim kid who fought me to do ANY of it. He'd get about..35 to 50 percent done, then he'd throw a hissy fit and go do something else. My sims now have not done it, but I'm certain my newest one will, since she has no 'bookish' traits (Bookworm, Genuis, ect.) In fact, she could take longer due to her perfectionist trait.

[Jonna]

I had a creative artist sim kid who fought me to do ANY of it. He'd get about..35 to 50 percent done, then he'd throw a hissy fit and go do something else. My sims now have not done it, but I'm certain my newest one will, since she has no 'bookish' traits (Bookworm, Genuis, ect.) In fact, she could take longer due to her perfectionist trait.

That is crazy.  I have never had any kids stop doing their homework.. most of them do it without me having to tell them to.  They're usually not bookworms or geniuses either.  Depending on the way I'm playing, they might have Heavy Sleeper, Loves the Outdoors, and then something like Artistic or Virtuoso.

But either way, even if I forget to tell them to do their homework, they can just work on it at school.  I'm not sure completed homework matters anyway once they get on the honor roll, I don't think their performance goes down (although I've never tried it with a kid being in a bad mood as well).

[Sophie4563]

My sims are like Jonna's, they do their homework without me asking them to. They don't have the genius or bookworm traits either. The funny thing is I don't want them doing their homework because I'd rather have them skill build. Seriously, what kid would rather do homework than play guitar?

[TollingBells]

I know, I hate homework, but I feel bad when their school performance goes down. Will their parents ever yell at them for not doing the homework? Besides, I like to choose my skills when they age up. 

[Asleep]

Family-Oriented Sims have the "Do Homework" interaction with children and teens, but I think that's it.

[TollingBells]

The sim child has the option to do homework with a parent or teenager, Simstar.  Gotta make sure the sim you targeted's not doing something though.

[Asleep]

No, that's a different interaction. If an adult tells a child Sim to do its homework, it'll automatically start it.

[Pam]

There's an interaction from the child to get help on homework from anyone who happens to be nearby.  It can be parents, family, friends, etc.

[jmz95]

Family-Oriented Sims have the "Do Homework" interaction with children and teens, but I think that's it.

I don't think it's just for Family-Oriented sims. In my game, any adult can do that. Those interactions include "Do Homework" and "Work on skills" where the parent talks to the kid and the kid automatically starts something.

[Mrs.Laphalot]

I've done homeschooling. You can raise skills AND their performance.

This is very interesting!! I knew about tutoring, but it never occurred to me that sim kiddos could be homeschooled!! That is so awesome. Learn something new everyday. 

[samoht04]

I have a question about this - If your sim goes to school for a few days, then gets A and gets on the Honor Roll, how long would they have to be home schooled to keep a steady A and still have time for a skill?

I also realised another benefit - No Homework!  

[The Illuminator]

Right, instead of doing homework they have to mop the kitchen...

[RunAmokSims]

So how is it that you cancel out the auto go to school and home school instead?

[samoht04]

Click the action to stop it.

[RunAmokSims]

Click the action to stop it.

Maybe I'm being dense but wouldn't that stop them from having homework to do also? I mean they come home from school with unfinished homework in their inventory.

[samoht04]

If you cancel the interaction before they go to school then they won't get any new homework to complete.

[RunAmokSims]

If you cancel the interaction before they go to school then they won't get any new homework to complete.

That's kind of the point I was getting at. If you home school them what is it they are learning? You get to choose their traits based on their good school performance. Do you have to take random traits or do you still get to choose when they age up?

[jestina]

I always have kids set to socialize when in school...but the idea of tutoring them in a basement sounds amusing. Sim serial killers in the making.
 
I thought you got dropped grades for skipping school by canceling the action, unless this is something new. Most of my sims are single and childless so I don't often keep track of that game aspect.

[Pam]

I thought you got dropped grades for skipping school by canceling the action, unless this is something new.

That was my initial reaction and response to this thread.  I thought they would have bad grades from not attending class and not doing homework, and therefore not age up well and get random traits.  But some said that tutoring brings their school performance bar up enough so that their grades don't go down.  I haven't tested it and don't really plan to.

[Esther1981]

I myself was homeschooled from K-12 and I would personally never homeschool a child, real or sim! Before I make anyone mad, let me explain. I have 2 sisters and a brother and growing up they were the only friends I had. Now that I'm an adult, I still have a hard time making friends. I'm very shy and introverted and my siblings are as well, so we have all 4 said that homeschooling is not worth the social problems that go along with it. But for those who are, I have no problems with it, just I would NEVER do it.  Hope I didn't make anyone mad, if I did, I'm sorry!

[Pam]

The subject of this thread will be moot very shortly.  EA has said that with the release of Late Night, children will be required to go to school.  No choice.  I don't know how this will work, but it looks like the home schooling idea probably won't work.

[samoht04]

Maybe you won't be able to cancel the interaction, doesn't seem like much point in it though.

[Esther1981]

The subject of this thread will be moot very shortly.  EA has said that with the release of Late Night, children will be required to go to school.  No choice.  I don't know how this will work, but it looks like the home schooling idea probably won't work.

Hmmm I wonder if the way I do it now will change? For everyone who doesn't know me, I'm a big cheater lol. I age them up then modify their negative traits.

[MasterSiwel]

The subject of this thread will be moot very shortly.  EA has said that with the release of Late Night, children will be required to go to school.  No choice.  I don't know how this will work, but it looks like the home schooling idea probably won't work.

That's too bad, I really wanted the option to have a kid be homeschooled.

[mtglady]

The subject of this thread will be moot very shortly.  EA has said that with the release of Late Night, children will be required to go to school.  No choice.  I don't know how this will work, but it looks like the home schooling idea probably won't work.

Guess there goes the wish to 'skip school' then.   I had one child that loved the outdoors and he was always getting this wish.  Otherwise he always received excellant grades. 

[pixelatedpixie]

Hi there, this is my first result in my search of sims 3 homeschool and it's kinda outdated, but I find an option to do homeschool via mod here: http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Careers, it has a homeschool sub-mod for children and teen. Thought I should put it here so anyone who search for homeschool will see it.