Emotions, behavior and discipline

Whether good or bad, drama will occupy the life of a Leo. They love to be the center of attention. As a Fixed Fire sign you can expect a lot of stubbornness and wanting to do things their way. Their warm feelings are infectious, but when angered, they can be somewhat intimidating. Everything they do is big. To keep your Leo happy, you will want to be prepared to laugh, play, and allow them to try every creative activity they enjoy. Once they find what they are genuinely passionate about and good at, they will stick to it and become the best.

Leo children love to cook and eat. They are adventurous eaters, so they’ll not likely be picky. Their appetites can be big like their Fixed but Earthy cousin, Taurus. Their physical energy is very high, so like Taurus, it’s helpful to mitigate their hunger by playing sports. They enjoy competing to win. Suppose they are more of an introverted Leo. In that case, they will still like to be the center of attention, but maybe not so much competitive against anyone but themselves. Activities like dance, acrobatics, or gymnastics might be favored over team sports.

Leos are very empathetic and dislike seeing their loved ones in pain. They will do their all to protect their friends from feeling bad. They will throw an arm around them and lead their friend away from the cause of their hurt. Leos generally aren’t comfortable talking about deep and complex emotions. Those things bring them down. They mainly like to shine and keep things light. They will listen to a hurt friend but will go into problem-solving mode. As loyal and loving friends, they will go out of their way to make their friends feel loved and safe. If someone hurts Leo or one of their friends, they will lash out ferociously. This can make it hard for some of Leo’s friends to want to work through the discord. They can have a my way or the highway attitude. Help your Leo handle painful disagreements more moderately. This will ensure they develop with a healthy ego.

They need a lot of praise when they do something well. Always give affection in good times and bad. Express the specific things you notice they do to treat friends, family, and themselves with kindness and generosity. Reassure them that you love and accept them for who they are, but not everyone will like them, and that likely it’s often not their fault. Teach them to understand that different people come from different experiences that color how they see things. Some people have a hard time being kind. Also, tell them that not
everyone is competitive, so their bright and competitive nature can scare more shy people.

Model kindness for your Leo child. Teach them to walk away from unkind people. Leo may try to bend over backward, getting everyone to like them. Ninety-nine people may love them, but one may not, and they may waste their time and energy trying to get that one person to like them. Teach them to stick with people who are supportive and friendly.

A potential weakness of your Leo child will be self-centeredness and arrogance. They are charming and sensitive but can be stubborn, and they dislike hearing, “No.” Like Gemini, you’ll have to resist temptations of pleasing your Leo and letting them get away with things because they are so charismatic. Giving them ample praise, affection, and encouragement is suitable for their self-esteem, but only if it’s balanced by a healthy dose of discipline and responsibility. Encourage them to be the best helper in your house.

Your Leo child, while empathetic, can altogether bypass that if they feel insecure or threatened by a person, they don’t like. In this instance, arrogance can rear its ugly head, and Leo can put down others to feel they are king or queen of the mountain again. Teach them that kindness is the only way and that people have a right to be who they are, just like your lion. The world is not just their jungle but a wilderness for everyone to explore. Examining the Work of Byron Katie can be a helpful tool in getting your Leo to self-reflect. Leos can dramatically tell themselves things that aren’t true about others. They develop scenarios in their minds about what they imagine others are saying about them. Teaching them to ask themselves a series of questions created by Byron Katie may help them step outside of their ego and become observers to quell their insecurities.