Tuesday, January 29, 2008

The LEO Chid...

The LEO Chid

"Tweedledum and Tweedledee Agreed to have a battle;

For Tweedledum said Tweedledee Had spoiled his nice, new rattle."

Remember the game you used to play called Follow the Leader? Remember the
little fellow who always sulked when he didn't get to be leader? If he was the same
pal who loaned you money to buy licorice sticks and Eskimo pies when your
allowance ran out, you must have had a Leo in your neighborhood gang.

The typical lion cub is sunny, happy, playful, and jolly when he gets his own way.
When he doesn't, storm clouds gather out of nowhere, along with a thunderous roar,
or a hurt, brooding withdrawal. Even if he does seem to be a bit full of himself, the
young Leo shouldn't be constantly put down. Suppressing his enthusiasm and high
spirits can cause deep scars that may darken his Sun for years. Little lions and
lionesses have a habit of bossing the other children which often annoys the mothers




of more inhibited youngsters, but they should be restrained gently and never

scolded
harshly in front of playmates. The great pride of the Leo reacts violently to an attack
on vanity, especially in public.

It's good to encourage the natural leadership in Leo children, but they should be
taught that everyone must have his turn, because that's the fair way, even if they are
stronger than the others.

The leonine sense of justice will usually cause the youngster to see the light. He's
not maliciously aggressive. He just has a compulsion to head for the front of the
parade. These boys and girls have a strong urge to show off, and it's hard to
discourage if it's allowed to get out of hand. The little lion is the one who proudly
stands on his head in the schoolyard or walks on a fence to thrill the girls. Wise
parents will begin early to make the Leo child realize that showing off is really very
undignified. This normally works like a charm, since Sun-ruled children have an
innate sense of dignity.

You'll notice it in the tiniest Leos. There's a sort of regal bearing, which creates the
impression that baby is monarch of all he surveys. The term "His majesty, the baby"
was coined to describe a Leo infant. Little cubs will begin early to rule the roost,
wrapping mother and daddy and the entire retinue of relatives around their fingers
with very little effort. It's the oddest thing, but a small lion sitting on his throne-I
mean in his high chair-covered with prune juice and egg yolk, and needing a change
of diapers, will somehow manage to keep his dignity intact. It comes naturally to a
Leo baby to allow doting parents and admir-, ing friends to pay homage to him,
while he graciously accepts their attention, gifts, and nattering tributes. He finds
adoration very easy to take. Notice the pleased, smug look on his face when
strangers stop to make a fuss over him.

Your Leo child will be more reckless than the average youngster, take more chances
and be more active. Then will come those periodic spells of leonine laziness, when
he'll lie around the house too tired to lift a finger, except to motion for you to wait
on him. Leave him alone and make him understand no one is his servant. If he
wants something, he can get it himself when his energy returns. Otherwise, a
spoiled Leo child can become a regular tyrant. Now and then, of course, it doesn't
hurt to bring him a book, hand him a glass of chocolate milk or otherwise perform a
friendly favor. But a little such submission to the lion's whims is plenty, unless you
have a secret urge to be a lady-in-waiting or a prince's equerry. Leo youngsters who
have been trained that they must respect the rights of others if they are to be
respected themselves can be lots of fun to live with. They're as playful and
affectionate as those adorable little cubs you see at the zoo, and like the cubs, they
need strict and loving discipline. The warm kiss and the tough birch rod will both
have to be employed frequently by lion tamers. Either one without the other is
always ineffective and dangerous.

There arc two kinds of Leo boys and girls. The first kind are the extroverts, gay,
cheerful, outgoing, warm and generous, if a bit pushy at times. The others are




quieter, almost timid on the surface. Such outwardly bashful little lions may have
suffered a serious blow to their vanity from domineering parents or from too much
attention being paid to brothers and sisters. Secretly, they need power and applause
as much as the others. The danger in such situations, if they're prolonged, is that the
Leo child will either get the attention he seeks later in life by forcing issues at the
wrong time with the wrong people, or retreat into painful shyness and destructive
frustration. Leo ego, unnaturally bottled up for long periods, is most unhealthy.

As youngsters, Leo boys may like to play with soldiers and enjoy games of
challenge with a strong element of chance. The little female Leo will be ladylike, if
strong-willed, may enjoy nice clothes and being told she's pretty, and will probably
like being given responsibilities around the house. An occasional Leo girl is a
tomboy, but vanity will eventually win out, and the phase passes. Don't expect these
youngsters to enjoy taking out the garbage or clearing the floors. They will rebel
against menial tasks, so assign them more important and dignified duties that give
them a sense of authority.

Teachers can expect the Leo students to do a little instructing of their own. They
love to explain things to others, and nothing delights them more than playing the
role of substitute instructor when the teacher has to leave the room. It puts them in
the spotlight. Normally, the Leo child left in charge at school will administer
discipline happily, but now and then his playful spirit will come forth, and the
teacher can return to find a three-ring circus in progress.

Young Leos can leam fast when they want to. They're intelligent, and are often
richly rewarding to the patient teacher, but they have a tendency to be a little lazy
about learning. They prefer to slide by on sunny personality and ingratiating charm.
Teachers can be a little sun blinded by their smiles and compliments, and it's not
unusual for little cubs to get better grades than they deserve. They may have to be
forced to develop good study habits. On second thought, forcing is a waste of time.
The easiest way to raise the grades of a Leo child is to appeal to his vanity, to make
him want to be superior to the others. That will usually turn the trick. When he's
good, pat him on the back so he really feels it. Light taps won't do. No matter how
many compliments he gets, he's always hungry for more.

These children will probably require more spending money than their more frugal
friends. Your Leo child may give away most of his spare nickels, but he won't short-
change himself, either. It's a good idea to teach him the rule the Rockefeller children
were taught about finances:

"Give some, spend some, save some." Especially the last

When they grow older, the young lions and lionesses will notice the opposite sex
much sooner than youngsters born under other Sun signs. Expect a turbulent
adolescence, because your Leo child will be up and down emotionally a hundred
times a day. Both his friendship and his romances will be terribly dramatic, and full
of colorful ecstasy and heartbreak. All Leo children love to go to parties. Give them




plenty of freedom, or they'll simply take it. Harsh orders destroy their pride and
dignity. If you build the courage and flatter the ego of your young Leo by telling
him sincerely you know he can do it, he'll proudly be strong for you.

It's never an easy task to raise an August child. There will be moments when you
feel your caged lion will never be tamed. But he can be, if you remember that he
needs gentle and continuous discipline-and love and affection are the two magic
keys that unlock his golden heart. It's not the lions who were adored as children who
grow up into unhappy adults. It's the little cubs who were emotionally starved and
neglected. Remember that he'll pretend to be very brave, but secretly fears he isn't.
Hug him tightly every night and love him with all your heart.

1 comment:

Matthew said...

Are Bantam Books... Linda Goodman's publisher... aware you're using her work without attribution?