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Top Secret Researcher
#2076 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 3:12 AM Last edited by yavannatw : 10th Jun 2017 at 7:09 AM.
What a challenge!. I've never built a toddler-friendly community lot before since they can't go anywhere in my game. A very long, loud Hmmmmm
This is going to take more than a couple of days to build.
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Doing all the things, and *mostly* not failing.
retired moderator
#2077 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 3:20 AM
This one is really tricky. The toddler requirement has me stumped. Where do you even take a toddler? (I don't have kids yet so I really don't know.) Park, playground, zoo, aquarium?

Also, I don't understand the crib requirement at all. Toddlers can't normally go to community lots, and also sims don't sleep on comm lots, so I'm doubly confused. We you thinking like a daycare area to be included at a church? I have zero clue what to do here, and that's even before I had a look at this weird shaped foundation.
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Original Poster
#2078 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 3:25 AM Last edited by joandsarah77 : 10th Jun 2017 at 4:14 AM.
You take your toddler with you wherever you happen to be going. A scary thought when you are carrying around a potential screaming poop exploding little being. So while that could be a zoo it could also be the shops. All shopping malls have a parenting room, but some are crumby. Most have a microwave, some have a curtain and seating to feed your baby, they all have a change table often one that folds flat to the wall but not always and some, the better ones have a small fenced in play pen type yard. RL toddlers normally nap in the stroller as you push them around, but sims can't do that so a crib in the parent room would be needed-or a cc crib stroller. The unmodded game should have a crib, change table and potty available in the catalogue to place on a comm lot. What if you wanted to make a baby store without CC? You would use those.

http://www.weekendnotes.com/top-par...th-river-perth/ review, photos and tips to what makes a great RL parenting room. Understandably those without children may never have been inside of one.

Oh this is funny. I have been given a lesson in Discord chat on how the US do not have parenting rooms! I feel sorry for all of you with small children I really do and obviously we are spoiled, but over here any decent size shopping centre will have at least a crumby parenting room and as you can see on that link some really nice ones. So since I do come from a country with parenting rooms I will expect to see one somewhere on that lot.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Link Ninja
#2079 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 4:30 AM
Checking in.

So, being from the US I have never seen a parenting room nor have I been in one as I have no spawn. I can judge based off the list linked above, but I have to ask - for the child/parent sized toilets - sims doesn't really have that and to simulate one I can only imagine would reduce playability because sims that aren't super close, even family get particular about who they let in the bathroom with them while they are doing business. So would that parent/child bathroom aspect be left out of the build altogether?

The closest thing I have seen to these are child's play areas like in IKEA or a Casino where it's like a mini daycare.

Uh oh! My social bar is low - that's why I posted today.

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Original Poster
#2080 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 4:35 AM
They don't need a child size toilet, just a potty. Obviously sims doesn't have everything real life has. The above pictures were to give people an idea of what they look like.

I have included parenting rooms on some of my lots uploaded here.
http://modthesims.info/download.php?t=574466 I have one here.
http://modthesims.info/download.php?t=477943
Other lots have smaller ones. To me at least it seems natural to include facilities for the smaller members of society, I'm kind of gobsmacked that the US does virtually nothing to help parents.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#2081 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 4:43 AM
I've raised two children over here in the U.S. and I never saw that complete a parenting room. The best ones I saw had a changing table and a chair. So I'm afraid that I don't have too much of a frame of reference other than those pictures.

Thanks to ALL free-site creators, admins and mods.

RIP Sunni ... truly a ray of light.
Doing all the things, and *mostly* not failing.
retired moderator
#2082 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 4:49 AM
Charmful, ditto.

Jo, that link was really interesting. I've never seen counters that indent like that, I'm guessing for diaper changing? I love the large dog crate fences to keep the kiddos contained! I've also never seen short kid toilets like that, pretty good idea! The closest thing we have to that is at the super fancy malls, they will occasionally have an outer room when you go to use the restrooms that has a couch in it. But you have to walk through that to get to the bathrooms, so there is no privacy. Breastfeeding moms here are not supported, and usually told to cover their baby and or go do that in the bathroom (which aside from the single couch in the hallway at the fancy malls, there is no place to sit in the bathroom (except the toilets). It's gotten so bad that there are groups of breastfeeding moms who 'stage protests' by beastfeeding in public. Yeah, sitting on a park bench holding a feeding baby is 'protesting' here.

Travel rest-stops seem to have the most amenities that your link showed. Almost all of those have the fold down plastic changing station, and I've even seen some of the nicer ones with that high-chair thing - but always inside a toilet stall. I figured it was so you had a place to contain baby while you took care of your own business, as you are certainly not feeding a kid in there. Outside is usually a couple of picnic benches and if you are lucky one is covered by a structure. My family traveled a lot while we were all small, so we had picnic lunches at those a lot.

My local grocery store has recently gone 'kid-friendly'. Now they offer each child one free apple, orange, or banana while the parents shop. Yup, that's it, a fruit stand counts as child-friendly here. Maybe I should move to Australia. Or Europe, or anywhere that isn't Cheeto-land.
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Original Poster
#2083 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 4:58 AM
To me a parenting room also makes good economic sense, because it attracts parents with young kids and that's a huge percentage of your shoppers. People with kids are always buying stuff because little kids constantly need nappies/diapers, food, clothes, toys. If one mall had a large parenting room that is where everyone would start to shop.

Yes the indented counters are for nappy changing. (we call diapers, nappies over here the same as the UK does) Most people would grab the light folding change mat out of their nappy bag and lay it down on that curved area.

You are free to breastfeed in any cafeteria/restaurant over here, protected by law. We went out on Thursday and a lady did so at the next table, not unusual. You are expected to do so carefully though since we also have exposure laws.

On another board someone (an American) was complaining about places offering her kids candy. You don't get that here or if you do I haven't seen it. At least offering fruit is good.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#2084 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 5:01 AM
Quick question about toddler cribs ... do they need to be cribs, or simply places for toddlers to sleep?

Thanks to ALL free-site creators, admins and mods.

RIP Sunni ... truly a ray of light.
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Original Poster
#2085 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 5:08 AM Last edited by joandsarah77 : 10th Jun 2017 at 5:29 AM.
They need to be a place the toddler can sleep, which is why I said a pram crib is also fine. A dog bed is not fine however.

By 'pram crib' I mean a crib that someone made to look like a pram. There are a couple around. A floor sleeping mat used in a picnic spot could also look fine. A RL toddler might take a nap on a picnic rug.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#2086 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 7:43 AM
Good morning
Very interesting foundation with no nooky triangles Looking forward to build something on it.
Top Secret Researcher
#2087 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 7:44 AM
Can't say I've ever come across such parenting rooms either. The only ones I've seen offer a chair and a baby change table and that's pretty much it.

Question@joandsarah77 - do you need ramps for the theoretical prams or can I assume parents will carry their sprogs? I'm hoping the latter.
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Original Poster
#2088 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 8:13 AM
No ramps needed- unless you want to do some. You can also place the parenting room on the ground, up to you.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Constant Contestant
retired moderator
#2089 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 8:39 AM
Checking in!

We have parenting rooms in the UK and most public toilets will provide a baby changing table. Most mums are able to breastfeed discreetly in public without being hassled. I see plenty of mums breastfeeding at our local shopping centre. Our swimming pool provides parent and child/baby changing rooms too with changing tables and a seat to strap your child into. We also have designated parent and child parking spaces (they are wider and nearer to the shops) and a selection of different shopping trolleys designed for babies and toddlers.

Want a specific style of house or community building? Why not take a look at my profile and see what I build and then come ask me to make it!
Field Researcher
#2090 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 10:15 AM
@joandsarah77 for clarification: Could this be an owned business, or must it be an unowned community lot?

Edited to add: Now I am going to do my very favouritest thing: Hunt for CC.
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Original Poster
#2091 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 10:23 AM
It can be owned or unowned. Remember if you are thinking of uploading (and hope some of them will be) that the uploaded lot must not be owned.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Instructor
#2092 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 10:45 AM
By "educational" I assume you mean something that increases a skill/badge/hobby for a sim, as, in real life, most things can be used to educate.

Also, in my part of the world, pubs are one of the most family friendly venues you can find - large beer gardens, baby changing facilities, wendy houses, climbing frames, etc, etc, etc. It's only the immediate vicinity of the actual bar that is off-limits unless you're 18+

Just call me William, definitely not Who-Ward
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Original Poster
#2093 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 10:55 AM
Yes, educational for the sims visiting the lot. Preferably a skill or badge. There are pubs and than there are pubs. That type of pub is fine.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#2094 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 1:59 PM Last edited by gazania : 10th Jun 2017 at 3:09 PM.
Before I go full-out, I'd like to know ... when you mean you can extend the decking, this means I could extend it anywhere and build anywhere on the decking, correct? I can extend the decking over half the lot and stick a huge building on it if I like, right? (No, I wasn't going to do that, but I may extend the larger foundation.) I think I do know what I want, but it would require a much larger building area.

Also ... and this is a pretty basic question I'm embarrassed to ask ... I thought you could put up to five playable floors on a foundation. I'm finding you can't put ceiling tiles on a fourth floor (foundation, not decking). Am I missing something? (Strangely, I have built more lots that I can remember, but never went beyond a third floor!) Does this have anything to do with the size of the foundation, or did I tick off the Sims 2 building gremlins?

EDIT ... I find without the foundation, you can get four floors easily, though I still can't get ceiling tiles on a fifth floor. But with the foundation, I can only do three floors before I can't place the tiles. I remember reading somewhere that the game considers a foundation a level, so I guess that makes sense. Still, I remember something about FIVE floors ... or am I dreaming?

I can do what I want with three floors, but it may be tighter than hoped for.

Thanks to ALL free-site creators, admins and mods.

RIP Sunni ... truly a ray of light.
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Original Poster
#2095 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 2:43 PM
Yes, you may cover the lot in one huge piece of decking and put down a huge box hotel. I don't know how many points that will get though. Do not extend the foundation with more foundation, only decking.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#2096 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 2:44 PM
Quote: Originally posted by gazania
Before I go full-out, I'd like to know ... when you mean you can extend the decking, this means I could extend it anywhere and build anywhere on the decking, correct? I can extend the decking over half the lot and stick a huge building on it if I like, right?
As I understand it, yes, but with decking, not with brick foundation. I think that affects what you can sensibly build on it: a 20-floor concrete tower block sitting on top of a wooden trellis would rather worry me!

I've made the base game foundation and sent it to Jo, but it's getting near midnight in Australia, and I guess she probably won't add it to the first post till it's morning there. If anyone needs it and is desperate to get started, please let me know and I'll try to get a copy to you.

P.S. Sorry Jo, I see you are still awake! You must be one who stays up late like I do!.

All Sims are beautiful -- even the ugly ones.
My Simblr ~~ My LJ
Sims' lives matter!
The Veronaville kids are alright.
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Original Poster
#2097 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 2:45 PM
Thanks Andrew, I am doing some other work right now, but I do know your pm is there.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Doing all the things, and *mostly* not failing.
retired moderator
#2098 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 4:01 PM
gazania, on your highest level, place a pre-made dormer from the roof section, that should get you another level and should make your ceiling issue go away. You don't need to keep the dormer after you've placed it, that just gets you the grid. Or, add the highest level cheat to your userstartup.cheat file. If you are only looking to go up one, the dormer trick is easiest. That only works for one extra level though, if you need more, you need to use the cheat.
Mad Poster
#2099 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 4:04 PM
Checking in.... drinkin' my cuppa c(__)

Baby Care Center - that's what they are called in my corner of the world. ...usually sponsored by Nestle (company).
They feature:
A room with easily-disinfected plastic toddler toys, and a video player/TV with kiddie shows, and parental (or bro/sis) seating area
A nursing "closet" with a rocking chair
Another room with a few changing tables and a larger parent & child bathroom stall
And another area with a microwave, sink, water cooler, fridge - stocked with formula and food you can purchase, and several hi-chairs.
There is usually an attendant who keeps things tidy, maintains the kiosk with bibs and diapers for sale, and manages the cash register.

AND - they are usually located next to the First Aid station.

This looks like a fun round - good luck all ya'll!

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Mad Poster
#2100 Old 10th Jun 2017 at 4:23 PM
I have absolutely no idea at the moment about what community lot I should build But at least we have some parenting rooms here too, so that's a start!

I simply love all the entries in Round 4, I can't even pick a favourite. Strongs to the judges

Hanging around in the fermented fruit juice bar, waiting for the creativity juices to kick in. Please remember the recycle glass container is to go to justJones after the contest!
 
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