In the Stars

We have all been intrigued with understanding our personality traits by "reading the stars."  Our Zodiac signs have been studied by astrologers for thousands of years and these concepts are taught in science curriculum.  I will admit to reading my daily horoscope to compare and contrast the happenings of my real and predicted day.  No, I do not consider myself a "witch."  Most of the readings become huge coincidences and probably can be applied to any individual.  However, after discussions with a colleague over the last few years, she led me to believe that the sun, moon, and universe do control our actions and possibly affect our decisions.  Now I have an excuse of why I get along better with certain people---because of their birthdays.  The first thing I did when returning to my classroom was looking at my students' birthdays to have a general idea of their unique personalities.  Usually it would prove to be true.

Of course I immediately contacted my friend when we discovered that Emma Reese was due on February 2nd.  She shook her head and smiled.  She told me this was the best thing for a Virgo mother.  My little Aquarius would be in constant conflict with me because of her free spirit and brilliant intelligence.  She would explore the world with open arms not hesitating to be herself.  In other words, she would do what she wanted!  I was reminded to be patient to allow this creativity to be expressed because she would thrive on this energy.  My immediate response was not positive and even hoped that my daughter could be born two weeks early to be a Capricorn...ha!  Today is January 19th, the last day before the signs rotate, and I am excited about my "different drummer".  

Here is the description of Aquarian babies (taken from BabyCenter website).

A Different Drummer

"Marching to the beat of his own drummer" describes your Aquarius child to a T. This little one is offbeat to the core and will surprise you repeatedly with his inventiveness and originality. 

Aquarius children are quite social and tend to have lots of friends, and the more widely diverse their play buddies' backgrounds and cultures, the better. 

Aquarius children are attracted to diversity and new experiences. Your little Aquarius might like unusual foods that other kids won't even try -- think hot peppers, strong cheeses, raw oysters, and the like -- or he might spend hours in his room, inventing something technical, functional, and all-around incredible.

Pursuing their own freedom and individuality is among their primary needs, so as the parent of an Aquarius child, you should give him plenty of space and autonomy. If they aren't allowed to express themselves as they see fit, Aquarius children can become rebellious or, alternatively, stubborn and quietly depressed. 

Let your child dress himself as early as he can, and give him plenty of books, art supplies, and other tools to foster his unique creativity. Aquarius children tend to be quite intelligent. They're naturally progressive in their thinking and their perspective on the world, so they might become excellent problem solvers. 

Your Aquarius child may surprise you with his interests and life choices, but if you can stay open to the ways his mind works, you're likely to find he's a genius in his own right. These children just need time to find the best way of expressing their brilliance.

I also located a compatibility test from the same website that indicates how parents and children will respond to one another according to their signs:

Stimulating Brilliance

Virgo

Aquarius

Your parental instinct is to guide your child with a firm, careful hand, but your little Aquarius needs plenty of freedom to explore. A born inventor and innovator, she's naturally curious and independent, attracted to unique people and out-there ideas. You're much more practical than that: You're all about efficiency and functionality, and for you, the bottom line is whether something works. 

You might want to save your Aquarius child time and trouble by stepping in and guiding her explorations, but it will be a lot better to let her test things out for herself, even if she heads down some dead-end streets before finding the right direction. Above all, try not to criticize her mistakes too much. This little one isn't particularly sensitive, but making mistakes is part of her trial-and-error learning process. She's a genius at heart, and affording her this independence stimulates her brilliance.