In Stardew Valley, players can have children and raise them in a charming farming simulation. While having kids is an exciting prospect, it’s important to understand the mechanics involved before making the decision to have children.
In this article, we will examine how to have kids in Stardew Valley and explore the benefits and drawbacks of raising children in the game.
What is the Purpose of Having Children in Stardew Valley?
Unfortunately, you cannot use your children as free labor in Stardew Valley, like back in the old days when this was common in real life. The only purposes of having children in Stardew Valley are the sense of realism and, more importantly, unlocking an achievement called “Full House.”
Things To Know About Children in Stardew Valley Before Having Them
There are a few things worth mentioning regarding the children in Stardew Valley. For instance, you can only have two kids, including one boy and one girl. The first one will be random, while the second one will always be the opposite gender of the first one. Although they will grow up, once they reach the toddler stage, they won’t get past it (unless you install Stardew Valley mod that allows them to grow up). And lastly, you’ll be able to have either biological children or adopted ones.
If your partner is of the opposite gender, you’ll have biological children. On the other hand, if your partner is the same gender as you, you’ll only be able to adopt them.
Prerequisites for Having Children in Stardew Valley
Getting Married
Getting married in Stardew Valley will take some time and effort. Firstly, you’ll need to work hard to reach the eight hearts with your potential spouse. Once you do, you’ll need to purchase a bouquet of flowers from Piere’s General store.
When you give the bouquet to your future wife/husband, you’ll immediately have the option to level up your relationship to ten hearts, which is only available after giving the bouquet.
Once you reach the 10 hearts, you’ll have the option to buy an item called “Mermaid’s Pendant,” which you can get from the Old Mariner. However, you will first need to collect 300 planks of wood, repair the broken bridge when it rains, and upgrade your house with a kitchen. This upgrade will cost you 450 wood and 10000 gold, but it’s absolutely worth having it. Otherwise, Old Mariner won’t sell this item to you.
Once you acquire the Mermaid’s Pendant, simply give it to your partner, and you’ll get married in three days. Keep in mind that you will need to be married for at least seven days before getting the option to have kids in Stardew Valley.
Getting Married in Multiplayer
If you wish to get married in multiplayer, the entire process will differ entirely from the single-player. Instead of obtaining the Mermaid’s Pendant, you’ll need to craft the Wedding Ring yourself. You’ll need exactly 5 Iridium Bars and 1 Prismatic Shard to do that. In addition, you’ll need to purchase a recipe for crafting the Wedding Ring from the Wandering Merchant, which will cost you 500 gold.
The silver lining is that you won’t need to increase the relationship level (hearts) with another player so you can get married at any point.
Getting The House Ready
In the previous paragraph, we’ve mentioned that you’ll need to upgrade your house with the kitchen, but this won’t be enough if you wish to have kids in Stardew Valley. You will also need an additional upgrade – a nursery with a crib and two single beds (for two potential children).
This is easier said than done because not only you’ll need 150 hardwood. Furthermore, you’ll also need a staggering 50,000 gold. On top of that, it will take Robin three days to complete the upgrade.
How to Have (or Adopt) Children in Stardew Valley
Once the stage is set for you and your partner to have kids in Stardew Valley, you’ll get a 5% chance of getting a prompt from your partner in which you’ll be asked to have (or adopt, depending on the partner’s gender) children. This will occur during the night only, and you will also be able to reject this offer without any consequences.
If you decide to have (or adopt) children, you must reply positively and wait for exactly 14 days. Once you wake up on the fourteenth day, you’ll find your baby in the nursery’s crib. However, if you decide not to have children at the moment, your spouse will simply keep asking you the same question randomly (you’ll still have a 5% chance) as long as you meet all the criteria.
How to Have (or Adopt) Kids in Stardew Valley Multiplayer
Similarly to getting married in Stardew Valley multiplayer, having/adopting children in this game mode works differently.
You’ll simply receive a random prompt about whether you wish to have children or not. If you reply positively, the farmhand will also get the same question. Once everyone agrees, you’ll get a child on the same day.
How To Have a Second Child in Stardew Valley
You’ll only be able to have a second child in Stardew Valley once your first child reaches the toddler stage. When this occurs, you’ll get a 5% chance of getting asked to have another child by your spouse.
Stages of Childhood in Stardew Valley
There are four stages your children in Stardew Valley may reach. The following table will reveal all of them:
| Stage 1 | For the first 14 days after your baby is born, they will remain in their crib and sleep for the majority of the time. During this infant stage, you will not be able to interact with your child as you will consistently receive notifications that your child is asleep. |
| Stage 2 | Two weeks after the infant stage, your child will enter the next stage of development where they will be able to stand up in their crib. During this stage, you will finally be able to interact with your child for the first time by tossing them in the air, which will increase your friendship points with them. |
| Stage 3 | After exactly two weeks, your child will reach a new stage of development where they will leave their crib and begin crawling around the house and interacting with toys. This stage will last for a full season or 28 days. |
| Stage 4 | During the final stage of your child’s development, they will transition into a toddler and will be able to run around the house freely. If this is your only child, you will now have the option to have another one. |
How to Dismiss a Child in Stardew Valley
If you believe having a child (or children) in Stardew Valley has become too much of a burden for you, you will be able to dismiss them. But before you do, you will need to complete the Dark Talisman quest received from the Wizard. On top of that, you must unlock the Witch’s Hut. Once these requirements are met, head to the Witch’s Hut and stand near the Dark Shrine of Selfishness.
There, you’ll need to offer a Prismatic Shard and receive a prompt to dismiss your kid. This action is irreversible and will turn your kid(s) into doves and remove them from the game entirely.
What Are the Consequences of Dismissing the Children in Stardew Valley?
If you decide to do this, there will be some creepy consequences. After all, you deserved this for abandoning your (virtual) kids. In any case, you’ll first receive a phone call from a ghost-like voice that says “you have forsaken us.” Then, you’ll have a close encounter with the Ancient Doll, which will appear depending on your farm layout.
If your farm is the standard one, you’ll find a creepy TV channel on Fall 26. Selecting it will show the Ancient Doll, who will say that you have brought this upon yourself and that she’s finally free. Then, the doll will come out of the TV (homage to the movie “The Ring”).
However, if you have a four-corners farm, you will encounter the Ancient Doll while fishing on the farm. In any case, the doll will spawn at the Witch’s Hut and attack you whenever you come there. Even if you kill it, it will keep spawning each time you re-enter the hut. Unfortunately for you, there’s no way to get rid of this curse for good.
