My son Ian loves the Sims. He’s always playing MySims on his Nintendo DS. And watching Sims videos online has gotten him excited for Sims 3. But we ran into a problem.

Ian, who’s 8, saw an ad on YouTube for Sims 3. He asked if he could search for Sims videos. I said sure. But before long he called me over to the computer. We have a deal. If he sees objectionable content, he lets me know right away.

He found a video of two characters having sex. It wasn’t graphic. The two sat next to each other in bed. Then they dived under the sheets and rolled around. I could hear giggling and other noises. That’s when I knew Ian would not be getting this game.

Needless to say, he was pretty upset. He even wrote a letter to the game’s creator, Electronic Arts.

It turns out Sims 3 is rated T for Teen. It features mild sex and violence. And it tackles some adult themes, like having children. It’s a good game, but it’s not for kids.

If your kids are gaga for the Sims, there are some things to know.

Sims videos

You’ll find tons of Sims videos online. Sims 3 even has a built-in moviemaker. Many are goofy clips or music videos. But some people like to film their characters being naughty.