You can have up to two children in Stardew Valley, but you’ll need to hit a few milestones first. The process involves marriage, house upgrades, and a bit of patience with random chance.
We tested everything on Stardew Valley 1.6 running on a Steam Deck. Here’s what actually matters.
- You need three things before any child question can trigger: marriage, a 10-heart relationship with your spouse, and two farmhouse upgrades (the second costs 50,000g and 150 hardwood).
- After all conditions are met and 7 days of marriage have passed, there is only a 5% chance each night that your spouse asks about having a child, so expect to wait up to a full season.
- Same-sex couples adopt instead of having biological children, but the requirements, timing, and child growth stages are identical.
- Children pass through four stages — newborn, baby, crawler, and toddler — over roughly 56 in-game days, and they never age past toddler.
- You can remove children permanently by offering a Prismatic Shard at the Dark Shrine of Selfishness in the Witch’s Hut, with no relationship penalty to your spouse.
#What Do You Need Before Having Kids?
Three requirements. Miss one and the question never triggers.
1. Get married. Reach 10 hearts with a marriage candidate, give them a bouquet, then propose with a Mermaid’s Pendant. It costs 5,000g from the Old Mariner on the beach (rainy days only).
2. Upgrade your farmhouse twice. The second upgrade costs 50,000g and 150 hardwood, adding a nursery with a crib and two small beds. No nursery means no kids. If you’re low on gold, focus on your most profitable crops first.
3. Keep 10 hearts with your spouse. Talk to them daily and give loved gifts twice a week. Heart decay is real.
Once all three conditions are met and you’ve been married for at least 7 days, there’s a 5% chance each night that your spouse asks if you want a baby. That’s 1 in 20 nights.
Some players get the question on night 8. Others wait over a full season.
According to the Stardew Valley Wiki’s Children page, the crib must remain in the nursery for the question to trigger. If you removed it through the furniture catalogue, place it back.
#Same-Sex Couples and Adoption
Same-sex couples adopt instead of having biological children. Everything else is identical.
#How Do Children Grow in Stardew Valley?
After you agree to have a child, the baby arrives in 14 in-game days. From there, your kid goes through four growth stages. They never age past toddler.
| Stage | Duration | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Newborn | 14 days | Sleeps |
| Baby | 14 days | Tossable |
| Crawler | 28 days | Crawls, plays |
| Toddler | Permanent | Runs around |
The total time from birth to toddler is about 56 in-game days, roughly two seasons.
In our testing on version 1.6, Stage 2 had a fun surprise: tossing the baby has a small chance to “crit,” launching them ridiculously high. Purely cosmetic.
Your second child can only arrive after the first one reaches Stage 4 (toddler). The first child’s gender is random, and the second child is always the opposite gender. You’re capped at two kids total.
TheGamer’s guide confirms that toddlers will attend festivals with your spouse, including the Egg Festival, Stardew Valley Fair, and the Feast of the Winter Star, where they’ll appear walking alongside your partner during the event. It’s one of the few visible benefits of having kids in the current version of the game.
#Tips for Speeding Up the Process
The 5% nightly chance can feel painfully slow. You can’t directly increase it, but you can avoid accidentally blocking it:
- Don’t let your spouse’s hearts drop below 10
- Don’t remove the crib from the nursery
- Go to bed before your spouse falls asleep
While you wait for the question to pop up, there’s plenty to do around the farm. Set up your greenhouse layout for year-round crops, or build a chicken coop to start producing eggs and mayonnaise for extra income.
#Removing Children From Stardew Valley
Not everyone wants permanent toddlers running around the farmhouse. There’s one way to get rid of them.
To access the Dark Shrine of Selfishness, you’ll need to complete the “Goblin Problem” quest first. It unlocks after restoring the Community Center or finishing the Joja route. The shrine is inside the Witch’s Hut in the far northwest corner of the map, past the Sewer entrance.
Offer a Prismatic Shard. Your children turn into doves and fly away permanently.
The Stardew Valley Wiki’s Dark Shrine page states that this action does not lower your spouse’s heart level. Your spouse will still ask about having new children afterward at the same 5% rate.
#The Creepy Easter Eggs
Turning your kids into doves unlocks some unsettling content.
On Fall 26, check your TV for an ”???” option. It reveals an Ancient Doll. You might also get a creepy phone call with static.
#Upcoming Changes in Version 1.7
ConcernedApe (Eric Barone) confirmed in early 2026 that children will become “a little more interesting” in 1.7. PC Gamer found that the update will also add two new marriage candidates. No release date yet.
The children changes address one of the community’s longest-standing complaints: kids don’t do anything useful after reaching the toddler stage. If you want expanded features right now, Nexus Mods has PC-only options like “Have More Kids” and “Immersive Family.”
While waiting for 1.7, you can make the most of your farm by optimizing your sprinkler layout or deciding between the miner or geologist profession.
#Bottom Line
Upgrade your farmhouse twice and keep your spouse at 10 hearts. The rest is patience.
If you want kids gone later, the Dark Shrine of Selfishness costs one Prismatic Shard with no relationship penalty. Watch for the 1.7 update if you want children to actually do something useful on the farm beyond running around your living room.
#Frequently Asked Questions
#Can you have more than two children in Stardew Valley?
Two max: one boy, one girl. Turning them into doves lets you start over, but you’ll never have more than two at once.
#How long does it take to have a baby in Stardew Valley?
14 in-game days after you say yes. The full cycle from newborn to permanent toddler is about 56 days, close to two full in-game seasons. Each of the four growth stages has a fixed duration, and you can track progress by interacting with your child daily.
#Do children do anything useful on the farm?
Not yet. Kids can’t do farm work. They occasionally hand you items, but the 1.7 update may finally change this.
#Does having children affect your spouse’s schedule?
Nope. Schedules don’t change at all. Toddlers show up at some festivals, but your spouse still helps with wine production and other chores on their usual routine regardless of whether you have zero kids or two.
#Can you choose your child’s name and appearance?
Yes for the name, no for the looks. You pick a name at birth, but appearance is auto-generated from your character and spouse’s features.
#What happens if your spouse’s hearts drop below 10?
The 5% nightly question stops appearing entirely. You won’t lose existing children, but you can’t have new ones until hearts return to 10. Loved gifts give 80 friendship points each, and you can give two per week.
#Is there a difference between biological children and adopted children?
Zero. Same appearance rules, same growth speed, same behavior. Only the initial dialogue differs.
#Can you have children if you marry Krobus?
No. Krobus is a roommate, not a spouse, so the children mechanic doesn’t apply. Even with a fully upgraded farmhouse, Krobus won’t trigger the baby question. Pick one of the 12 standard marriage candidates if you want a family.