"Oh, how I -wish I could shut up like a telescope! I-think I could, if I only knew how to begin ..."
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Sun Sign Capricorn - The Capricorn Child |
"Oh, how I -wish I could shut up like a telescope! I-think I could, if I only knew how to begin ..."
"Pat her on the head, and see how pleased she'll be!... A little kindness- and putting her hair in papers- would do wonders with her-"
If you're one of those people mothers hate, because you think all newborn infants look like little old men and women, save your description for a Capricorn baby, and you won't get so much resistance. Tiny Capricorns do resemble miniature octogenarians. They look old in their youth and young in their old age. That little wrinkled prune of a face in the bassinet will someday be smooth and un-lined when other faces are sagging. Maybe it has something to do with being born in January-the old year going out and the New Year coming in. The odd turnabout does match the familiar image of the old man with his care-lined face beside the fresh infant of the New Year with his Ivory soap look.
If you have a Capricorn child, you'll notice the inconsistency soon enough. From the time he's an infant, your self-contained little Cappy will make you feel somewhat uneasy with his strange maturity. You'll say something cheerful to him, like "Does itty bitty Baby Boo want a nicey sugy cake?" and he'll give you a serious, thoughful look, exactly as though he's wondering just how silly you can get. It doesn't take
many of those looks to shame the average parent right out of baby talk.
Capricorn youngsters are strong-willed and positive in their tastes, but they don't make a big fuss in expressing them. Your little goat won't throw a temper tantrum or dramatically pound his fist in the mashed potatoes, but heTl manage to communicate his negative reactions quite plainly. A mother may feel vaguely intimidated by a Capricorn baby, but she can't put her finger on the exact reason. Somehow he makes her feel-well, he makes her feel foolish and nighty. Let's be very truthful. He makes her feel like the child, instead of the parent.
This infant isn't the kind to waver or succumb to wishful thinking. He crawls or waddles deliberately to the place he wants to reach. You rather get the feeling he organized it all carefully in his mind while you were changing his diaper, and now he's going to follow through. He's nothing if not definite. Capricoms are never coy about making their wishes known. You get the message clearly. Then they steadily wait for your answer. Suppose you say "no." If it isn't anything important, he will probably accept the disappointment without tearful scenes. If it's something he's decided he really wants, he'll get it, one way or another. Your "no" will mean little to him. Instead of fighting it, he'll ignore it and bide his time until he finally wears you down and you give in.
As he grows older, your Capricorn offspring will begin to organize his life into a routine. He'll keep his toys in a certain place, and will be quite put out if you move them or disturb his system. If he's a typical Saturn child, hell usually adapt naturally to mealtime schedules and potty time, and he'll have less interest in childish tricks or youthful pranks than other youngsters. Even when they're very small, these boys and girls will show a decided preference for home life. The little goat would rather go on a picnic with mother and dad, or sit home and listen to the grown-ups talk, than run outside with a group of children his own age. He'll seldom have a gang of friends. There will probably be only a few close companions, or maybe just one special friend with whom he shares secrets.
School is seldom a struggle for young Capricorn students. Unless he has a conflicting ascendant or the Moon was in a restless sign at birth, this youngster will be remarkably responsible about homework. He will walk into the house, hang up his coat, and sit down immediately to tackle his lessons. If he's a true Capricorn, he can't enjoy his play until he's first attended to duty.
When he's ready for leisure, the Saturn play often takes the form of pretending to be an adult. Little Capricorn girls love to play dress-up in their mother's clothes. Sometimes they'll suggest, "You be the baby and I'll be the Mommy," which could make you a bit uncomfortable, because the tot will be strangely convincing in the reverse role. You'll feel like a complete fool, standing in the playpen and gurgling while she peers over her big spectacles, wearing your high heels and pearls, and says firmly, "Do be still or you'll go to bed without any supper." You get the impression you'd better stop the play quickly, or she really will put you to bed. Sometimes the Capricorn child will become a "pretend" parent for small pets and be quite serious about the responsibility. Little Capricorn boys like to pretend they're teachers, doctors, executives of big railroads or Daddy. When your little son puts on your husband's topcoat and picks up his pipe, you may get the oddest urge to ask him to drive over to the supermarket and bring home some eggs-until you remember he can't drive anything more complicated than a scooter, and he skins his knees most of the time on that. Capricorn children also like to paint or draw and listen to music, but they won't waste many leisure hours in aimless games. Frequently they'll be absorbed in making something practical. It will have a useful purpose, even if it's a pretty skinny pot holder or a comically wobbly pencil box. They should be en-couraged to play outdoors. They won't seek the sunshine and fresh air with much enthusiasm, but it's good for them; it blows those gloomy little Saturn cobwebs out of their young minds.
Teachers usually find the Capricorn child pleasant to instruct, but they may lose patience with his slow, stubborn methods of learning. Still, the teacher will seldom complain of frivolous daydreaming or neglect of studies. These youngsters are normally very good scholars, after they've grasped the fundamentals. They don't leam quickly or project flashy brilliance, but they're thorough and careful. Saturn concentration is nothing to sneeze at. It wins prizes and gets A's.
When your young goat brings home a report card with behavior marks that say he's obedient, studious and reliable, but "he's reluctant to participate in class discussions," "refuses to recite," "is timid, lacks confidence and doesn't mix well with the other students," you'll begin to worry that you've raised an introverted bookworm, a hopelessly anti-social creature. Then one day your little Capricorn will casually mention that he has to be in school early to call the roll. "Why do you have to call the roll?" youll ask. The answer will be a shock. "Oh, because I'm President of the class." When you exclaim, "Why didn't you tell us?" he'll reply with offhand modesty, "Gee, it isn't that important." But he'll be blushing and pleased. It's the pattern for his adult life. Apparently slower than the others, supposedly a poor mixer and the dark horse, he'll quietly and inevitably end up in some position of leader-ship, as the extroverts realize he's the one they can trust to be responsible. Capricorn may be left to guard the treasures and keep the records, while the gregarious ones play and dream but he won't feel imposed upon. What he seeks are respect and authority.
An occasional Capricorn youngster will coldly dictate to weaker friends or siblings with a stubborn will, which can amount to childish cruelty, but far more often the Capricorn child will submit to more dominant Sun signs. There may then be a problem of brothers or sisters bossing the little goat, and you'll think he's being pushed around unfairly. Don't worry. He can take care of himself. One little Capricorn girl I know is completely submissive to her older, more aggressive Sagittarian sister. With the patience of the earth signs she takes orders from the more fiery personality. She never talks back or argues. But after an especially severe bossing session, the older sister just happens to find her shoes, her hairbrush or her favorite sweater is "missing." It always turns up eventually, and no one in the family ever has the slightest idea how it got "lost," but for weeks afterwards, the bossy sister is more considerate. Never underestimate the power of Capricorn for self-preservation. Somehow, the odds get evened.
Around members of the opposite sex, little goats will be bashful, but intensely interested. You'll hear remarks like, "Boys are drippy goons," and "Girls are stupid creeps," but they'll get mysteriously excited about Valentine's Day in school, and send a bushel of cards signed "guess who." Romantically, adolescence can be painful. They'll need encouragement and careful handling when dating begins.
It's a blessing to be the parents of a January boy or girl. With very few exceptions, it's like a gift from the gods. Unless he's pushed too far, in which case he can say something bluntly cruel and freezingly painful, the Capricorn child will usually be as sweet as the "sugy cake" he hates.
If you're short on the rent money you can always borrow a few twenties from his fat piggy bank. He'll be polite to his elders, and mind almost without being asked, except for rare stubborn spells. He'll organize his chores, and be serious about his future, though you may have to force him to scrub behind his ears. He'll cling to home and family with honest devotion, and seldom make you wonder where he is. Most of the time, he'll be right there beside you, enjoying every minute. He has his own bright, solid and practical dreams. Don't worry if he snubs Sleeping Beauty and Goldilocks. When you're old and gray, and feeling lost and forgotten by a thoughtless younger generation, your Capricorn son or daughter will sincerely respect your wisdom. He'll be enthusiastic about inviting you to visit or even to make your home with him. It's for all the world as if the Capricorn youngster is saying-for real this time-"All right, now I'll be the Mommy (or Daddy), and you be the baby. You took care of me with love. Now I'll take care of you." There'll be no make-believe about it, but Hans Christian. Andersen never wrote a happier ending,