Psychologists often break down parenting styles into four categories:
No parent entirely embodies any single one of these styles; it’s usually a mix. But because your personality is written in the stars, here’s the type of parent you’re likely to be, based on your zodiac sign.
Aries
(March 21-April 19)
A determined fire sign ruled by Mars, the planet of warriors, you are a strict disciplinarian. Discipline is good so long as it’s not doled out too harshly, so you need to be careful to lay down the law in a way that shows care and concern. You also have a tendency to try to mold your children after yourself more than you let them find out who they are. Loosen the reins a little bit—it’s very good to keep your kids in check, but it can backfire disastrously if you make them feel like they’re trapped in a prison cell.
Taurus
(April 20-May 20)
Because of your stubborn and bullish nature, you can be strict—but only about what’s important. You lean toward the authoritative rather than the authoritarian style of parenting, and in the end, it will reap endless benefits for your child. On the flip side of things, you tend to be a little too forgiving when your child makes a mistake or does wrong. Forgiveness is a noble virtue, but if it’s applied too leniently, you’re sending the message that they can get away with things again and again, only to be forgiven. It’s fine to let your child be who they are, but not if it’s going to lead them down a dangerous path.
Gemini
(May 21-June 20)
Growing up, you vowed not to make the same mistakes with your kids that your parents made with you. You see a mirror reflection of yourself in your own child—which is somewhat true, but not entirely. You project yourself a little bit too much into your children. You view your kids as your second chance at life, almost like the movie Groundhog Day where you’ve awakened to a new morning, but it’s the exact same world, and you have a chance to do things a little differently. It’s very good that you don’t want to make the same mistakes they your parents did, but you need to realize that maybe one of the mistakes they made was that they didn’t realize you are an entirely different person than they were. Once you realize that, apply the same rule to your kids, and you’ll be fine.
Cancer
(June 21-July 22)
Since you are naturally disposed toward having the hyper-feels, you are the most affectionate and loving sort of parent in the zodiac. Your kids are your best buddies, your pride and joy, your reason for waking up in the morning and going to work. In a world where many people grow to adulthood absolutely starved of love, these are all great traits. It only becomes risky if you don’t teach your children that not everyone will be so loving. Prepare them, in the kindest way possible, for the fact that others can be mean and hurtful in ways they’d never expect if everyone in the world was like you.
Leo
(July 23-Aug. 22)
You, the Lion, are a fire sign ruled by the sun, which places you on the authoritative/authoritarian side of the parenting spectrum. You are high-energy and very protective. You set solid goals for your children. These are all great things. What you need to keep in check is your tendency to come off a little bossy. Remember what Maya Angelou said: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Teach your kids everything they need to know about life, but make sure you never do it in a way that comes off as demeaning.
Virgo
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
You lean more toward the permissive/uninvolved end of the parenting spectrum because you realize that your children are entirely different people than you are. Luckily for your kids, you are deeply involved in their lives and their development, but what keeps you from being an authoritarian is that you lead by example. You are never a hypocrite who adheres to the “Do as I say, not as I do” style of parenting. You are only “permissive” in the good way—you permit your kids to learn about themselves and develop their own personalities, regardless of how similar or different they are from you.
Libra
(Sept. 23-Oct. 21)
Although you are symbolized by the Scales, when it comes toward parenting, your style tilts heavily toward the uninvolved method. Although there are, of course, exceptions depending on your exact birth date, Librans tend to have a “sink or swim” attitude toward their children. You realize it’s a hard world out there, but you figure that the best way to prepare them for that is, ironically, sending them out there unprepared and letting them fend for themselves. You reason that this may be the best way for them to develop the sort of hard exterior needed to get through life. While this style may work, consider that maybe you’re taking this approach because it’s how your parents treated you. It’s never a good idea to take out your own resentments on your children—soften up a little bit. You’ll be grateful that you did.
Scorpio
(Oct. 22-Nov. 21)
You are protective without being suffocating and authoritative without being mean. So far, so good. The only thing about your personality that you may need to work on regarding parenting is that you are a micro-manager. When it comes to your own life, you make lists for everything and check off each task as it’s accomplished. With housecleaning, you tend to be so meticulous that you can sense when a fleck of dust is falling from the ceiling, and you will leap in the air to catch it before it hits the floor. But this is what works for you. Just keep in mind that your kid may be a whole different animal. Maybe they’ll be a little more carefree than you are. Once you respect the differences, it’ll be smooth sailing.
Sagittarius
(Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
You are solidly on the permissive side of the parenting spectrum. Luckily for your kids, you are entirely involved in their life. Naturally fun-loving by nature, you want your kids to associate you with all the fun, joy, and love that life has to offer—and none of the bad things, which is why you never put them down or make them doubt themselves. You’re like a mischievous best friend who’s full of surprises and always up for a good time, so long as it doesn’t involve danger, harm, or heartbreak. When it comes to heartbreak, you are like a mama bear or papa bear ready to snarl at anyone who even thinks of hurting your child.
Capricorn
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
You lean toward the “Don’t question my authority!” side of the parenting spectrum, and you struggle sometimes not to come off as too bossy. But your motivations are pure—you try to be realistic with your kids about how life works—about how often it’s unfair, frustrating, and unrewarding. This is because you don’t want them to have to go through the pain of finding out for themselves like you did. But it’s a balancing act—you don’t want to discourage them or get them so depressed that they never even attempt to achieve anything. But once you find that balance, you’re the best kind of parent a kid could want.
Aquarius
(Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
You are a very, very sweet soul—so sweet that it pains you to lay down rules and set boundaries. You are intensely permissive, but you are also deeply involved in your child’s life. Maybe you’re too involved. If they say they don’t to eat the dinner you made and would rather have pizza, you order them a pizza. If they say they feel sick, you don’t even take their temperature—you let them stay home from school. You may not be able to kill your child with kindness, but you can disable them from developing a strong personality merely by enabling them too much. When you go too easy on a child, they stay a child forever.
Pisces
(Feb. 19-March 20)
You are a compassionate and deeply empathetic person, but you are neither permissive nor uninvolved in your child’s life. Because you feel things deeply, you can look into the future and see what a disaster your kid’s life will be if you don’t discipline them and teach them the difference between right and wrong. But you also realize the difference between being firm and being strict. You won’t bend, you won’t break, but because of your kind and empathetic nature, you also won’t come at your child with such a ruthless, drill-sergeant level of hostility that it breaks their soul.
