If you thought you’d just be growing crops and raising animals in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, think again – parenthood is a major aspect of this adorable 2023 remake. You begin Year Two by getting married and having a child, and who your kid becomes is based entirely on your actions.
There are six major interests that your child may develop, but what they like can change. Whether it’s giving them gifts, interacting with them often enough, or just spending time together, our guide will help you sway who your child becomes in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life.
Our Story of Seasons A Wonderful Life guide coverage is a work in progress; we’ll update our childcare guide with more information as we uncover it.
Your Child’s Interests And Abilities, Explained
There Are Six Abilities And Interests
In Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, your child will slowly but surely develop into their own person throughout the game, with their own thoughts and opinions – kids never stay young for that long, do they?
Early on and then continuing through their lives, you’ll see your child express either an interest in or an ability with skills like:
- Ranching
- Farming
- Athletics
- Art
- Music
- Academics
They’ll usually develop multiple interests and abilities throughout their lives, but it’s not uncommon to see one interest pull ahead early on.
Your Spouse Impacts Your Child
As soon as you finish Year One in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, if you haven’t already proposed to someone, you’re made to get married to begin Year Two.
At your wedding, your new spouse will mention that your family will grow, and ask your preference on whether you’d like to have a boy or girl. You can either decide between a son and daughter, or choose to let the game decide.
In writing our romance guides for all eight marriage candidates and having children with all the bachelors and bachelorettes, we chose randomly each time and only had one son among seven daughters.
When Year Two begins, you’ll see a cutscene introducing your new child. As Takakura tells your dad about the new addition, you’ll name your child.
After Takakura’s narrative, your spouse suggests possible interests for your child, to which you can either agree to immediately sway them in that direction a bit, or tell your spouse you should let your child decide for themselves.
The interest your spouse suggests will be heavily based on their own interest, so if you have a specific idea in mind for who you’d like your child to be, pick a spouse with a similar interest.
All Marriage Candidates And What They Suggest Your Child Pursues
They’ll then check in when the year changes over into Year Three, to see if this is still the plan before your child continues to grow up.
How To Influence Your Child
Interact With Them Early
Year Two is the most critical in your child’s development, meaning you’ll need to interact with your child regularly in Year Two if you’d like a good relationship with them moving forward.
Not spending enough time with your child in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life may see them somewhat self-defeating in older years, while children who’ve been carried, talked to, sung to, and loved will be happier children overall.
You won’t see this reflected until Year Three, though, so be sure you’re interacting with your child early and often during Year Two.
You can check how your bond is in the Resident Info tab of your menu.
You can also carry your child around town and spend some time introducing them to the villagers of Forgotten Valley.
Speaking to different townsfolk may also sway your child’s interests as time passes, with your friends around town spreading their favorite hobbies to your child as well.
It’s harder to boost your relationship with older children than it is to do so with toddlers, so be sure you’re attentive to your child in their formative years to build a good foundation for their future.
Give Them Toys To Expand Their Interests
In the second chapter of Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, Blossoming, your child is a toddler, waddling around the house and, whether you see it or not, picking up on everything you do.
In this chapter, you can begin to give your child gifts, which, for right now, often come from Van’s shop when Van visits on the third and eighth day of each season.
These include:
- A Ball, for 500g.
- A Toy Car, for 1,000g.
- A Drawing Pad, for 1,500g.
- A creepy bear, beginning in Year Three, for a staggering 1,000,000g.
Take these items hope and put them in the toy box, then enjoy a tender scene with Takakura shortly after of your child enjoying their new toy.
You can also obtain a handful of other items for your child from Bulletin Board requests beginning in Year Two.
Lou will give you a Beach Ball for your child in exchange for one Energy Drink (from Van’s shop) in Year Two, while Baddoch offers a (mildly horrifying) Plant Encyclopedia in Year Three if you give him two Power Drinks (also from Van).
Give Children And Teens Relevant Gifts
Like all the townsfolk in Forgotten Valley, your child enjoys receiving gifts relevant to their interests, which change depending on how your child has shaped up through their toddler years.
If your child likes farming, for instance, you can offer them crop seeds or meals. Kids interested in academics, meanwhile, may find joy in artifacts you find over at the Dig Site.
These may also change as your child grows up, so offer them a variety of items to see which ones they most enjoy.
Choose Different Dialogue Options Based On Their Interests
Naturally, kids respond better when you engage them in different conversation, which may happen when you give different gifts or when they ask certain questions.
Young children may ask if they’re well-behaved or pose several curiosity questions, while older children inquire about a variety of topics, regardless of whether they accept the item or not.
Children with different interests react differently to each category of item, and they may even ask you questions about the item you’ve given them.
A child with a blossoming interest in academics may inquire after the Dig Site find you’ve given them, for example. You can then answer in one of two ways:
- Telling them you found it at the Dig Site will reinforce their interest in academics.
- Telling them you bought it from Van will not.
In general, being kind to your child is the best option, if you’re trying to keep a good relationship with them.
