Once you lot've found and married your true love in Stardew Valley, yous'll be able to have kids. You're limited to a maximum of 2 kids, and in that location are some things you'll need to do before the game gives you lot the option at all.

Never fearfulness — when it comes to having children, Stardew Valley makes information technology much easier than real life. For everything you lot demand to know almost getting married, what to await when you're expecting, and how children acquit in-game, look no further than this guide. Nosotros will explain how to have kids in Stardew Valley and much more.

Updated January 17, 2022: Having children in Stardew Valley can be an utter delight, and in order to further illustrate how to reach the joys of parenthood in the game, we've added a video guide to this article.

What You Demand To Know About Children

a stardew valley infant sleeping in a crib, which is stage 1 of kids growing up in the game

There are a couple of things to know about having kids in Stardew Valley:

  • You're limited to two kids — one boy and one girl. The first child can exist either a male or a female (selected at random), and the second will be whichever ane you didn't go the first time.
  • They grow up over time, but they cease at the toddler stage and never age past it.
  • Yous'll ever be presented with the option to have children, and they'll never be a surprise.
  • Finally, you lot are able to have children whether you are in an opposite- or aforementioned-gender partnership.
    • If you are married to someone of the opposite gender, you lot'll take kids, and if you're married to someone of the aforementioned gender, yous'll prefer.
    • This guide will refer to both having and adopting children as "having" for ease of reading.

Prerequisites

shane wedding stardew

You'll demand to meet certain criteria before the game lets yous add kids to your family. The requirements are as follows:

  • Be married for at least seven days
  • A 10-heart friendship level (at least) with your spouse
  • A farmhouse upgraded twice that contains a plant nursery with a crib
    • (at that place is a renovation that allows yous to remove the crib, which volition also remove the power to have children)

How to Get Married

Getting married in Stardew Valley is pretty straightforward, but it does take some fourth dimension.

Once you've reached a friendship level of eight hearts with a marriage candidate, y'all can purchase a boutonniere from Pierre's Full general Shop. When yous requite it to your love, the two of you lot will enter a relationship and your heart level volition be unlocked, assuasive you to level information technology up to 10 hearts.

When you reach 10 hearts, you'll be able to purchase a Mermaid's Pendant from the Former Mariner, who shows up on the east side of the Beach (you'll need to upgrade the broken bridge with 300 wood if you haven't already) when it rains. He'll only sell it to y'all if you lot've upgraded your firm to take a kitchen (the first upgrade).

Requite the Mermaid's Pendant to your partner and your wedding volition take place iii days later. You'll need to be married for a week before the option opens up to have kids, given that the other requirements are met as well.

Maintaining Friendship With Your Spouse

Unlike the other villagers, your friendship level with your spouse will always decay over time. Luckily, information technology's pretty easy to keep information technology at x hearts (or college).

Ensure that you speak to them well-nigh days, if not every day. Give them gifts they like when possible, and don't do things that upset them (like giving them hated gifts or hitting them with a slingshot). This should keep your heart level at ten hearts or more, which is required to have kids.

Upgrading Your Farmhouse

robin's carpenter shop stardew valley

The last matter yous demand in lodge to have children is an upgraded farmhouse. The first upgrade adds a kitchen and allows y'all to go married, simply you'll need to upgrade it a second time to unlock children. The second upgrade adds a nursery with a crib and two single beds.

The first upgrade costs 10,000 gilt and 450 wood. It'll have Robin three days to end. Next, y'all'll need 50,000 gilt and 150 hardwood for the second upgrade and nursery, which will also take iii days.

Having/Adopting Kids

a stardew spouse asking if the player wants children

Once all of these criteria are met, you volition be able to accept kids. At night, at that place is around a v% take chances that your spouse will ask if you lot want kids.

Saying Yep: If you agree to have kids, the infant will exist born or the adoption process will finish 14 days later. When you wake upwardly on the fourteenth 24-hour interval, in that location will exist an baby in the crib.
Proverb No: You tin say "not now" without consequence. Your spouse will but accept your answer, go to sleep, and peradventure ask at a afterward date, so long equally the requirements are nevertheless met.

How to Accept Kids in Stardew Valley Multiplayer

If y'all are playing a multiplayer/co-op file, and you marry some other player, you tin can still take children. It works a little differently, though.

The main histrion will be asked randomly if they want to have a child, similar to the query when married to an NPC. If they say yeah, the farmhand will then be asked as well. If they say yes as well, the child appears in the same way as normal.

If either ane of yous says no, you volition non have a child.

In one case You Have Children

a child playing in a stardew valley home

Children get through four "stages" equally they grow upwardly. From the second stage onward, you can interact with your kid(due south) to level up your friendship with them.

Stage 1 At first, your baby will remain in the crib, asleep, for 14 days after they make it. When you interact with them, information technology will just give you lot a message stating that they are sleeping.
Stage 2 After those xiv days, the child will reach the side by side stage of their development. They'll stand up up in the crib, and y'all'll be able to interact with them by tossing them in the air playfully. This will requite you friendship points.
Stage iii Another fourteen days later, your kid will finally start to go out the crib. They'll crawl around your house and interact with toys. This period lasts 28 days, or one full flavor.
Stage 4 This is the fully-grown phase, and the kids will never progress by it. In this stage, they're toddlers, and they run around the firm. You can interact with them to raise your friendship level further

You will be able to have a second child afterward your first ane reaches the concluding stage and begins sleeping in 1 of the beds in the plant nursery, every bit the crib will now be free.

There are some differences in how friendship works when it comes to your own kids. Outset, they cannot be given gifts, and the friendship points you lot earn or lose at the Luau and from the Message Board Bundle do not impact your human relationship with your kids.

However, dissimilar your spouse, your friendship level with your kids volition not disuse once it reaches x hearts, like the other villagers.

Dismissing Kids

the stardew valley dark shrine of selfishness asking the player if they want to turn their children into doves

If you determine you don't want your kid(s) anymore, you can "dismiss" them. To do this, y'all'll need to accept completed either the Community Middle or Joja route, finished the Dark Talisman quest for the Wizard, and unlocked access to the Witch's Hut.

Inside the Witch's Hut, there are three shrines. Ane is chosen the Dark Shrine of Selfishness. By presenting a Prismatic Shard to this shrine, you can "dismiss" your children, which will turn them into doves and remove them from your family.

Note: In that location is no manner to reverse this once information technology is done, only it will allow you to accept more children in the future.

You lot should know that, if y'all're not a fan of creepy stuff, there are some scary things that happen after you dismiss children.

Starting time, you'll receive a phone call (if you take a phone) that seems to come from your abandoned kids. Information technology will have an "otherworldly vocalisation" that says "YOU Take FORSAKEN US."

the creepy doll message that you get in stardew valley after dismissing kids

Second, y'all'll run across an Aboriginal Doll depending on which farm layout you accept. If you take the Standard Farm, you'll run into a weird channel on the Goggle box on Fall 26. Selecting it volition bear witness an Ancient Doll that says "Yous've brought this upon yourself... now I'm gratis... Hee hee hee!" Information technology volition then pop out of the TV similar the girl from the Ring. If you have the Iv-Corners Farm, you might fish upwards an Ancient Doll when fishing on the farm.

After you lot've encountered the Aboriginal Doll, a cursed one volition show upwards at the Witch'southward Hut and fly around, attacking you. Once you lot kill it, information technology will turn into a bird and exit. But, information technology volition respawn every time you enter the hut. It does count for the Bats section of the Monster Eradication Goals, though.

Other Info

A child in stardew valley wearing a hat

Amazingly, you can put hats on your kids. Just select the hat in your inventory and collaborate with your kids, the same way y'all place a hat on your horse or place produce into machines.

If you decide to take Krobus move in, rather than getting married, you cannot have children with him. However, if you lot accept children from a previous marriage, Krobus will help raise them.

Finally, you may spot your spouse with your kids in tow at various boondocks festivals!

NEXT: Stardew Valley: Consummate Guide And Walkthrough

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