The Leo Child
* Your little Leo is quite different to most other kids in that their inborn confidence is usually so great, they don’t need much bolstering of their self-esteem or encouragement to believe in themselves. Even if they don’t outwardly show it, deep down every Leo child is convinced of their talents and knows they’re special. For this reason, the less ego boosting they receive during their formative years, the better. Too much parental praise and adulation can have the effect of making them rather big-headed and arrogant.
* You’ll need to walk a fine line though, between keeping your Leo child’s potential hubris under control, and grievously wounding their surprisingly vulnerable pride by putting them in their place a little too forcefully. It’s a major mistake ever to belittle a Leo child in public, especially in front of their friends. They won’t easily recover from the terrible sense of humiliation and they’ll find it hard to forgive you for what they see as your terrible betrayal.
* The wisest way to handle a Leo child’s inborn desire for recognition is to provide them with a constructive outlet for their self-expressive drive. Classes in the performing or creative arts will bring out the best in most little Leos, while the more sporty ones will thrive on involvement in competitive sports. The bottom line is that the more opportunities they have to ‘put themselves out there’ and win a big round of well deserved applause, the less prone they will be to gratuitous showing off and attention seeking in obnoxious ways.
* Every Leo child likes to think of themselves as a good leader, even the quieter ones who would rather direct the show behind the scenes rather than take center stage. Taking charge comes instinctively to little Leos because in their mind they always know best! Obviously this isn’t the case, but it’s true that they’re nearly always blessed with good organizational abilities and an authoritative manner that inspires trust and obedience among their peers. There’s no harm in acknowledging your Leo child’s strong leadership qualities. But they’ll need careful telling where and with whom it’s okay to express them – definitely not in their home and with their parents!
* So strong is their sense of self-worth, every Leo child believes they deserve the very best things in life, and they aren’t afraid to ask their parents for them! Due to their outstanding charm and powers of persuasion, it’s hard to resist a little Leo’s over-the-top demands. But if you give in too readily to their extravagant tastes, you risk ruinously spoiling them, while instilling them with a destructive sense of false entitlement which will create major problems for them later in life.