Current EA changes that affect this page
Adopting children was added while remarriage after a spouse dies remains unresolved. Adoption provides another family option; the patch does not say that remarriage itself is fixed. The patch fixes T-posing children and characters keeping their child appearance after growing up. These visual fixes do not define the mechanical age or inheritance rules. Remarriage after a spouse dies remains an acknowledged issue in 0.4.5. Adoption was added as a workaround, and should not be described as a marriage fix.
Record what is actually shown
Keep the child’s displayed age, traits and relationship in your local family plan. Do not calculate an in-game age from real-world dates or assume that every turn corresponds to the same development interval.
Distinguish development from nomination
An interaction or toy can influence skills in the preview description, but that is separate from nominating an heir. The diary includes an age condition for children; the current shipped rule and all exceptions still need verification before an automatic checker can certify readiness.
Avoid a single point of failure
A family notebook can identify who you intend to nominate and which alternatives you would review. It does not predict illness, survival or the chance of another child. Return to the game’s family screen to confirm each important state.