Your Leo Child
When your little one is born, time seems to stand still. You child’s birth chart is a snapshot of the heavens, forever frozen at that time, reflecting the gifts and challenges of your childs life and its many cycles. This knowledge is an invaluable tool to assist in understanding the unique nature of each person young or old. As a parent, it would also be helpful to find out about your own chart and discover your strengths and weaknesses in parenting. Knowledge equals empowerment.
Leo birthdays begin July 22 at 05:50 am PDT. (If this description does not accurately describe your Leo child, there may be strong modifiers coming from other planets or sensitive points in the Natal chart which can overshadow Leo characteristics.)
LEO (July 22 – August 22)
Performing Leo
Leo, ruled by the Sun, represents the heart of life, where the creative life force emanates. It concerns children and pleasures and all that can bring drama, praise, creativity and fun. Leos see themselves as the center of the Universe.
Right from the start these dynamic babies grab attention. They seem to glow warmth and charisma. They will light up with your constant praise, attention and affection. They will, however, become accustomed to it and may throw a tantrum when they don’t get the continual strokes they need. Sometimes it is difficult to remember that these attention seeking cubs are doing it naturally. These are unconscious drives and this is how they see their world, as the center of your universe. Anything that comes in between you and your little Leo will seem to them, like a threat.
I have often witnessed a Leo toddler sitting on his mother’s lap and as the mother tries to have a conversation with another adult, the little Leo head slowly moves in between the mother and friend so they are unable to see each other! Very comical and very predictable. The phrase for the Leo child is, “1,2,3, all eyes on me!” A good way to deal with it is to laugh and help them learn what is appropriate, that they need to share the stage, and then praise them when they do it!
Their intense and unconscious drive for attention can be irritating to some who don’t enjoy playing the applause game. Leos require praise and it is the name of the game to get along with them or they wither and sulk. The Leo life theme is “I Create” even if it is initially drama! Many actors have strong Leo personalities. Once they have achieved center stage however, they become warm, generous and loyal. Like the pridely lion, they are very connected to their circle of devoted fans, friends and family.
Leos love to direct and be in charge, be it playmate, sibling or parent. It can be enjoyable being lead by a Leo, as they are fun and have great ideas. They love children and will want to baby-sit when they get older. What better way for them to be a young leader. They love to act and role play. Sun in Leo children have a natural desire to express themselves, and they will benefit from you being genuinely interested in their creative way of sharing who they are. Withholding attention from them out of fear of them becoming to ego centered can create more challenging behaviors. They may feel that they never got enough attention and go overboard with drama to get what they need.
Leos possess a natural self-confidence and carry themselves with largess and charisma. They are also natural leaders with a love of sports and animals. Even though they are high-spirited, energetic, strong-willed and something of a show-off, you can expect honesty, love and devotion if you can maintain an atmosphere of praise and recognition. Remember, an injured Lion is a dangerous beast and they hate to be wrong or wronged.. Make certain when reprimanded they come out with their Pride in tact!
They do best, as a fixed sign, if they think that what they must do is their own idea. This requires some parental staging. If criticized or harshly told what to do, they will become defensive, attack and never listen. They must protect their strong egos at all times. To help a Leo with changing his behavior, start with honest praise and compliments. Then you can explain about appropriate behaviors and what must be changed or encourage them to do certain tasks.
During the school years, Leo will naturally be a show-off, seeking all the attention they can get, often for the sheer joy of acting. They attract many friends easily and don’t like to be alone, needing an audience. They enjoy competitive sports and often want to win because they feel they deserve it, instead of actually doing the hard work necessary to win. They really want to wear the crown, so bad sportsmanship can become a challenge. If winning becomes too difficult and they don’t feel they can win, they will often quit and move on to a sport or activity where they can excel. Try to encourage your Leo cub to stay the course, do the hard work and then praise them for their dedication and achievements.
If denied the praise the desperately need, they withdraw and wither and may act out in negative ways to get your attention and feel loved. Remember, never withhold praise from your Leo for punishment. You will get a more productive outcome if you first praise and then reprimand. Adoration will always return a smile to a sulky Leo cub.