Let’s be real for a second. We’ve all been there. You’ve spent hours meticulously raising your Child Sim. They’ve mastered the violin, they’ve brought home straight A’s from elementary school, and they’ve finally lost that weird "loose tooth" moodlet. You bake the cake, they blow out the candles, and—poof—they sparkle into a full-grown adult with a slightly higher voice.
It’s jarring. It’s weird. One second they’re playing with Voidcritters, and the next they’re six feet tall and ready to apply for a job as a barista. This "awkward gap" is exactly why The Sims 4 pre-teen conversation hasn't died down in over a decade.
Honestly, it’s the biggest missing link in the game's current life cycle. We have Infants now (which, love them or hate them, added a massive layer of realism), but we’re still jumping from 10-year-olds to 18-year-olds in a single birthday.
The "Official" Status: Is Maxis Actually Doing This?
Here is the cold, hard truth: As of early 2026, there is no official pre-teen life stage in The Sims 4.
I know, I know. Every time a new expansion pack trailer drops, the community starts squinting at the background characters. "Is that Sim a little shorter? Is that a middle school backpack?" Usually, the answer is just a Teen Sim with a specific body preset or a Child Sim with a "grow-up" phase from the Growing Together expansion.
Maxis has been pretty quiet about adding a ninth life stage. They’ve focused more on fleshing out what we already have—like the High School Years pack or the Life and Death expansion—rather than breaking the game’s core skeleton to fit in a new height. Because let's face it: height is the enemy of The Sims 4 engine.
Why it’s harder than it looks
The main reason we don't have official pre-teens boils down to animations. In The Sims 4, Teens, Young Adults, Adults, and Elders all share the same height. This isn't just because the devs were lazy; it’s because it allows them to share thousands of animations. If you add a "Tween" who is 5’2” instead of 5’9”, every single animation—hugging, sitting at a desk, cooking on a stove—has to be re-rigged. That is a massive undertaking for a game that is already struggling under the weight of its own code.
How Players are Faking the Pre-Teen Life Stage
Since EA hasn't given us the goods, the community basically said, "Fine, we'll do it ourselves." If you’re looking to get that middle-school vibe in your game right now, you’ve basically got two options: Mods or "Creative CAS-ing."
The "Adeepindigo" Pre-Teen Mod (The Gold Standard)
If you play on PC or Mac, you probably already know about this. Originally created by itskatato and now maintained by adeepindigo, the Pre-Teen Mod is basically an unofficial expansion pack.
It doesn't just make them shorter. It actually changes how they live.
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- Middle School: Your Sims actually enroll in a separate school system.
- Hygiene Systems: They have to deal with body odor and can apply deodorant or body spray (which can sometimes make them dizzy if they overdo it).
- Puberty Phases: They get voice cracks and mood swings that feel distinct from the "angsty teen" vibe.
- Height: It automatically applies a shorter height modifier so they actually look like they belong in 7th grade.
The No-Mod Workaround
Console players, I haven't forgotten you. You can’t use scripts, but you can "vibe-check" your Sims into a pre-teen phase.
- The Birthday Strategy: Keep your Sim in the "Teen" stage but give them "Childish" or "Clumsy" traits.
- CAS Presets: Use the more "rounded" face presets and avoid heavy makeup or facial hair.
- Clothing Choice: Stick to the items from Parenthood or Kids Room Stuff that have been enabled for Teens.
- The "Short" Illusion: Avoid platform shoes and stick to flat sneakers. It’s subtle, but it helps.
What a Real Pre-Teen Update Should Look Like
If Maxis ever does decide to bridge the gap, what do we actually need? It’s not just about the height. It’s about that specific, cringey, wonderful transition period.
I’m talking about Middle School. High school in the game feels very "The CW"—everyone is beautiful and doing promposals. Middle school should be more about awkward science fairs, trying to fit in, and "first crushes" that don't involve the full romance menu.
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We need specific milestones. Imagine a Sim getting their first "skincare routine" whim or being "Embarrassed" because their voice cracked while giving a presentation. That’s the depth The Sims 4 is currently missing. In the Sims FreePlay, pre-teens have been a thing for years—they can go to karate, ballet, and have their own specific hobby equipment. There’s no reason the flagship PC game shouldn't have that same level of detail.
The Future: Project Rene and Beyond
With the "Next Gen" Sims (often called Project Rene or The Sims 5) on the horizon, many think Maxis is just "saving" the pre-teen stage for the new game. It would be a huge selling point for a sequel: "Now with more realistic aging!"
But honestly? The Sims 4 isn't going anywhere yet. The devs have committed to updating the game for years to come. We saw them add Infants out of nowhere, which was a way bigger technical hurdle than most people realize. If the demand stays this high, a "Middle School" Game Pack isn't entirely off the table.
Actionable Steps for your Legacy Save:
- Download the Pre-Teen Mod if you’re on PC—just make sure it’s the updated version (v1.1 or higher) to avoid the "August 2025" script errors.
- Build a "Junior High" lot using the High School lot type, but restrict it to your "younger" teens using the MCCC mod or club system.
- Focus on the "Childhood Phases" in the Parenthood pack. They are the closest thing we have to a pre-teen transition in the base game.
- Use Height Sliders (like Luumia’s) to manually adjust your teens the moment they age up, then "grow" them to full height halfway through the life stage.
The "jump" from child to adult-lite is still the biggest immersion breaker in the game. Whether we get an official patch or keep relying on the brilliant modding community, giving your Sims that "middle school" era makes the long-term legacy gameplay feel so much more rewarding. For now, keep an eye on those Maxis Monthly streams—you never know when they might finally decide to give us the "awkward years" we've been asking for.