If parenthood is a big part of how you play The Sims 4, setting a curfew is one of the easiest ways to add some structure (and drama) to family life.
How to Set a Curfew
Open Build Mode and go to the wall decorations category.
Buy a Family bulletin board.
Place it on a wall and click it to choose a curfew time: 7:00 PM, 9:00 PM, or 11:00 PM.
Save the setting.
Curfew stays active until 6:00 AM the next day. Once it’s set, adult Sims can’t remove it while it’s in effect, so choose a time that actually fits your household’s routine.
A curfew works well if you want more control over your Sims’ schedules or you’re leaning into a strict-parent playstyle. If you’d rather let kids and teens roam freely and handle consequences more organically, you can skip the bulletin board altogether.
Either way, it’s a low-effort way to add more realism and a bit of tension to family gameplay.
The Curfew Color Code
The bulletin board uses a simple color system so you always know where things stand:
Yellow: Kids and teens are free to roam.
Orange: Curfew is coming up soon.
Red: Curfew has passed.
Kids get a text message reminder 20 minutes before curfew starts.
If they ignore it and stay out past curfew, their Responsibility character value drops.
Parents get notified when curfew is broken and can choose how to react.
If you ignore it, there’s no automatic punishment. The game leaves the consequences up to you.
No NPC will bring a Sim home automatically. If they’re out past curfew, they stay out until you send them home yourself.
If you own the High School Years expansion pack, teens have a way around curfew entirely. Bedrooms can include an E window and trellis ladder, letting teens sneak out after curfew without their parents knowing, at least until they get caught.