Capricorn

Symbol:          The Goat
Planet:            Saturn
Element:        Earth
Best Trait:      Determination
Worst Trait:    Rigid
Keyword:        I USE

When F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote his now-famous short-story, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, he should have placed the baby’s birth sometime between late December and early January. Why, you ask? It’s because Benjamin Button embodies the very essence of a Capricorn: They are born little old people and grow younger as their lives progress. Maybe it has something to do with the “old” year going out, and the “new” year coming in since this sign spans the period over New Year’s. Whatever the reason, these little babies come into the world naturally equipped with some “other-worldly” knowledge of how things should be. They don’t suffer fools too easily.
Don’t be surprised by the eerily old looking face smiling up at you from the crib. And smiling he will be. Capricorn babies are not fussy or prone to temper tantrums. They are easy-going babies. If your due date is in Capricorn (sun sign) or you already have a Capricorn baby, now is the time to take a big sigh of relief. Parenting a Capricorn is usually a walk in the park. Self-possessed, weirdly mature, and naturally independent, your little Cappy can practically parent himself.  Later on, as your Capricorn grows a little bit older, you’ll sometimes wonder, hey, who’s the parent here and who’s the child? This little goat is capable of teaching you a thing or two!
Wise old souls are these little tots. They are deliberate in everything they do, as if everything is pre-organized in their sharp little minds. They’ll sit there quietly as you change their diaper; hey, they understand it’s something that needs to be done. No problem. Ok. Bedtime time? Whatever you say, Ma. Your little Cappy will let you do the things you need to do without much resistance, but if you think for one second that they don’t have their own agenda; think again. His determination is a quiet one, but this determination has the patience of Job. Go ahead and say “No” – he’ll accept that (or so you think). If it’s something the little tyke really wants, well, you might as well go ahead and save yourself some time – give in now. Eventually, he’ll wear you down, and trust us, he’s the authority on what’s important more than his harmlessly naïve parents are. He doesn’t fuss much, but when he does, pay attention.
Little Capricorns tend not to respond to the “goo-goo-gaa-gaa’ing” and silly baby talk bestowed upon most babies. He’ll probably look up at you with his soulful eyes wondering what planet you come from. This is an earth sign, so return to earth, please, and treat him with some dignity. Oh, they’ll giggle and be playful like most babies and toddlers; they’re not grumpy at all – in fact, the opposite. They are just more, well, grown up than most youngsters. They like routine, which is a welcome break for parents of other signs who might find themselves fighting the stubbornness of the Bull or the Ram, the high-maintenance of the Pisces or the Leo, or the anal-retentiveness of the Virgo. I always say, it would be a cruel trick by the gods if your first born was Capricorn, because then you’d think parenting was easy-street. It’s not. Capricorns just give that impression. They are duty-bound.
Your little goat will probably prefer the company of adults and older kids to their own contemporaries. In their play, they like to be the parent, teacher, doctor or some form of the older person in charge. If he’s the first born, his siblings will naturally admire and pay due respect to this “grown-up” child; if he’s the younger born, he’ll humor his older siblings by letting them boss him about. But not really; it’s just something he does dutifully given his station in life. He’s just so loyal to his loved ones, he wants to give them their own spot-light. He won’t have as many friends or followers as the Sagittarian or the Leo; he’s more selective than that. One, two or three friends is all he needs. Family fills up the rest. Home life and family are everything to the Capricorn. This is the most loyal sign to family, above all others. If your child, sister or brother is a Capricorn, someone has your back forever. If there’s ever dissent from a Capricorn family member, you better take a look at yourself. It’s rare, but if it happens (hate to break it to you), he’s probably in the right. It takes a lot for a Capricorn to separate from the loyal bonds of relatives, always giving them the benefit of the doubt and playing mediator. They see the chinks in everyone’s armor, and will only use it to their advantage if warranted. Otherwise, they address other people’s insecurities with compassion as if they have some first-hand understanding from a previous lifetime. A loyal family member to the end; what more could you ask for? Oh, and pets. Definitely get your little Cappy a pet. They are part of the family and will be treated with the same respect as any other family member.
Capricorn children take their duties seriously, so you usually won’t have to stay on them about their chores or homework. They like to take care of their obligations before moving onto leisure time. It’s that maturity we discussed earlier. Capricorns are thorough and careful in their approach which will show up later in their schooling. It may frustrate teachers who wonder if this cautiously slow student is “getting it” – but he is. Next thing you know, he’s the class president. It’s no wonder, once his classmates realize the innate sense of responsibility and reliability of the Capricorn. Not a natural extroverted leader this one, never demanding the spot light. Rather, he earns it through his own hard won actions. It has everything to do with his patience, perseverance and quiet determination. This is the mountain goat that takes his time, but will eventually reach the top. Everyone always looks up to the Capricorn; it’s like they were borne from kings and queens.
These children are rarely rude or crass; they are definitely not the bullies in their classroom. They just want to be liked. Make sure to encourage their intelligence (one of their innate traits), because they are often insecure about that. They don’t want to be thought of as some dorky “smart” kid. Which is why they go out of their way to be warm, generous and loyal. They want to earn love more than accolades. Sensitivity is a sign of the little Cappy even if they seem to see the world though black-and-white glasses. They have a high sense of right and wrong. They are rule-bound, so there is seldom grey-area for these ones. You don’t need to tell them the rules, and they’ll resent you for even trying. They know more than you. Somehow. Some way. They know more than you.
Best Traits of a Capricorn:  Resourceful, ambitious, determined, organized, realistic, canny, patient, goal-oriented, strong-willed, witty, loyal, hard-working, efficient, high-standards, fearless, responsible, thoughtful, steadfast, simply irresistible
Worst Traits of a Capricorn:  Skeptical, stubborn, rigid, status-seeking, holds a grudge, wary, miserly, anxious, unmovable, pessimistic, never satisfied, over-ambitious, insatiable
Recommended Children’s Books for the Capricorn Child:
Children’s Book Author Why?
Richard Scarry’s What People Do All Day Richard Scarry The hard-working Capricorn will enjoy learning about all the grown-up jobs out there.
Everyone Poops Taro Gomi Capricorns don’t discuss things scatological. Maybe this book will help lighten them up on this point.
Tumford the Terrible Nancy Tillman Tumford is a well-meaning but stubborn kitty who won’t say “I’m sorry”. Guess who else needs to learn these two simple words? 🙂
How the Grinch Stole Christmas Dr. Seuss Capricorns are born right around Christmas, and what better Christmas Classic than this?
Owl Moon Jane Yolen A charming story about a child who goes “owling” with his Pa “way past his bedtime.” The oddly mature Cappy children won’t blink an eye.
Amelia Bedelia Peggy Parish The direction-following Capricorn will find the literal-minded Amelia Bedelia hilarious.
The Lion and the Mouse Jerry Pinkney Totally wordless, this book is perfect for the patient, determined little goat.
Ferdinand the Bull Munro Leaf The hard-working and ambitious Capricorn can stand to stop and smell the flowers like Ferdinand.
Caps for Sale Esphyr Slobodkina A cap peddler tries to outwit a band of monkeys. The “Cap”ricorn is sure to love “Caps” for Sale.
The Giving Tree Shel Silverstein Capricorns are immensely loyal and extraordinarily thoughtful with those they love. They are the Giving Tree.