The Cancer Child
* A Cancer child’s sense of identity is very closely bound up with their home and family. For a healthy self-image and maximum personal confidence they need a close, happy relationship with their mother and father, as well as a comfortable and safe place to grow up in. Of course these things are important to every child, but especially so to a little Cancerian, and where they are absent or subject to any kind of serious disruption, there will be a major knock-on effect on this youngster’s sense of inner security.
* Because the nurturing instinct is strong in Cancerian children of both genders, they’re naturally drawn to looking after other people – when they’re small, their siblings, pets and any elderly members of the family, and when they’re older perhaps in some professional capacity. To have a feeling of self-worth, they need reassurance that they do a good job of caring when the occasion arises. Never criticize a Cancer child for letting down their family since it will cause them deep shame. Also, don’t set them up for failure by taking advantage of their helpful nature and overloading them with more domestic duties than they can comfortably handle.
* Because their focus in life is so much tied up with serving others, many Cancer children don’t have a very strong ego, which will therefore require a lot of boosting by their parents during their formative years. Intensive mothering is more important and more beneficial to a little Cancerian than to most other kids: they need more hand-holding, more empathy and more demonstrative displays of love and affection in order to develop sufficient self-assurance to confidently go forth into the wide world. Be willing to ‘baby’ your Cancer child for longer than the norm and don’t be surprised if it takes quite a while before they’re ready to leave home.
* Because Cancerian kids are very private little people, from an early age they need their own quiet space, ideally their own bedroom, where they can withdraw to process their powerful feelings, surrounded by objects that hold sentimental value for them. As a result they can collect a lot of junk and eventually become big hoarders. However, you should never throw out a possession they care deeply about as the loss could be quite traumatizing for them.
* This is a highly impressionable youngster with a strong imagination, who is extremely vulnerable to negative atmospheres and readily picks up on other people’s worries and anxieties. For their peace of mind, it’s important to avoid inadvertently implanting fears in their mind that something bad may happen – either to them or the people and things that mean a lot to them. So keep them away from scary horror stories – happy-ever-after tales are much better for their heart and soul.