To add some variety to your town, try turning home plots into other places. I've turned one plot into a daycare for the toddlers, the lady who lives there is the daycare teacher. When the toddler parents are ready for work, I go to the daycare and hit the whistle to summon the toddlers. Then their parents can leave the house empty and the toddler is cared for :) I also turned another plot into a community pool and water park with preteen slip slide, toddler pool, sandbox, barbeque and tables, and small buildings for bathrooms. Sims can be summoned to any home plot and stay as long as they want, so be creative!