NOWWW YOU'RE "THINKIN'" :D!!!! Gotta read between the lines as it were ... and there are lots of lessons to be learned just by watching your little ones go about their day!!! LOL I love it when they go and "teach" to a totem, or complain to it, or even give praise to it. As children, they get a little lonely and sit down near the mosaic ... then they grow up and do it once in a while as adults ... they get bored like we do, when they don't understand or if they don't like what they are doing, they say an emphatic "NO" ... I've realized if that is happening too many times and their life meter is suffering a bit, that it is time to put them somewhere else to learn something new. You can usually tell if they are really suited to a particular occupation becuse they will become trainees within one or two tries!! Most of the time I don't even have to make any stews -- I just am aware of how high their life meter is and adjust things if needed.

And like real life, some people are happy throughout their whole life just doing one thing ... but some, after a while, get tired and stressed, so sometimes a change is needed. When they become elderly, I usually unclick them from any paths and let them choose where to go, unless they truly LIKE to slowly go fishing, etc. (sometimes what they did when they were younger gets to be too much for them and it shows in their life meter).

I also think that participation and moving things around a bit, as well as giving them clothing of the color they like helps too ... and I 99-100% of the time get an event every night when I check in with them. I have my game set to 1/2 time ... a nice leisurely pace.