For all of you due to have a baby this year it is the Year of the Dragon – a major symbol of good fortune in Chinese Astrology. Because the Dragon is a mythical creature expect grand things this year and the water element makes this Dragon luckier than ever before.

So what makes your child as fiery as a little dragon or as tenacious as a tiger? Well according to Theodora Lau, author of Chinese Horoscopes for Your Child it could be all down to their Chinese horoscope. The Chinese horoscope has 12 signs – they each run for one year of the 12-year cycle, beginning on Chinese New Year. To work out your child’s birth sign visit www.chinese.astrology.com.

So what makes one child impulsive and another timid, one confident and another shy? Why are some children destined to rule the roost while other live in a dream world? So whether you are a mum of a happy bunny, cheeky monkey or kind-hearted sheep mums need a bit of a chance to revive so take advantage of this week’s spa offers.

The Dragon

Motto: The heaviest load in life is not having anything to carry

Famous Dragons: John Lennon, Frank Sinatra

A Dragon child is known for his vitality, positive attitude and leadership. The upbeat dragon is always the first to volunteer and feels duty-bound to fulfil all responsibilities thrust upon him.

This child is drawn to challenges with fearlessness and optimism. He has complete faith in his parents and puts them on a pedestal. He develops strong convictions early in life and needs good role models to show him the way. He must learn that might is not right or he may intimidate others without knowing it. A Dragon child loves his parents and has an army of loyal friends. He has a bold and compassionate heart that matches his strength of character. He is an idealistic visionary who could make his dreams come true with dedication and magnetism.

The Rabbit

Motto: Discretion is the key to happiness and harmony

Famous Rabbits: Albert Einstein, Lewis Carroll

The Rabbit is a peace-loving negotiator who values tranquillity. She hates conflict and tends to distance herself from confrontation. This child is alert and intelligent and keeps out of trouble by being observant. She is a sensitive soul, prone to being easily upset by loud noises or too much stimulation. Outwardly she may appear to be shy, but this personality is self-assured and gifted in many ways. The rabbit can be patient and shrewd when it comes to getting her own way. She recognises opportunity and is ready to take advantage of it when the time is right. Calm under pressure, she knows not to step on other people’s toes or to get into trouble. When pushed the Rabbit child becomes detached and aloof. She won’t argue but could sulk and be stubborn, in her own quiet way. She knows how to make her parents feel guilty without saying anything – just a hurt look and stony silence will suffice.

The Tiger

Motto: Curiosity finds knowledge

Famous Tigers: The Queen, Tom Cruise, Marilyn Monroe

The tiger is an incurable idealist. He interacts with everyone with vitality and genuine interest. He sparkles with activity, although it can be hard to hold his interest for long periods of time. The tiger does not bottle up his emotions and his aggressive personality tends to dominate the household. The vibrant child needs good role models coupled with plenty of discipline and love. If a Tiger wants to learn to make quick decisions and to stick by them, he will be a roaring success.

The Snake

Motto: Wait long, strike fast!

Famous Snakes: Gandhi, Oprah Winfrey, Tony Blair

The Snake is renowned for her strength, stamina and wisdom. She is calm and collected even under pressure yet has resolve and ambition. A Snake child will be purposeful in her approach to life. A child born under this sign tends to be possessive of their loved ones. The Snake child is a thinker – she likes to plot her moves in advance and plans carefully. The Snake rarely explains her motives. Close to her parents, she will take them into her inner sanctum and value their support. The Snake child matures early because of her serious outlook and intellectual superiority.

The Horse

Motto: Success is what we make for ourselves

Famous Snakes: Nelson Mandela, Paul McCartney, Rembrandt

The Horse is an adventurer who seeks excitement and activity and who loves to be in tune with his environment. He walks and talks early and develops an early appreciation for sports. The Horse is popular and known for his sharp mind and quick reactions. Many Horse children are left-handed or twins. The Horse child is fiercely independent and loves to do things for himself. He hates to wait for others or to be told to hold on and take things one at a time. He loves the outdoor and needs plenty of exercise and open space to vent his seemingly inexhaustible energy. Although a child born under this sign is not the whining type, he can be stubborn and self-centred. He needs to find new things to occupy his time or he will easily become distracted and restless. Fun-loving and cooperative, the Horse’s agile mental and physical abilities will put him at the forefront of the action.

The Sheep

Motto: One who is tactful possesses a kind heart

Famous Sheep: Andy Warhol, Michelangelo

The sign of the Good Samaritan, the Sheep is compassionate and caring. The Chinese believe Sheep children are favoured with three blessings: a good home, a loving family and a prosperous life. In spite of her polite demeanour, this child could be prone to crying when feeling ignored. However it is difficult to be angry with the affectionate Sheep for long, because she usually forgives and forgets. The Sheep child bonds deeply with her mother, and in her adoring eyes her parents always know best. The Sheep is always willing to give others the benefit of the doubt, so she is not always the best judge of character. She is a good communicator and loves to mother others. She treasures relationships and is a great comfort to her family. The Sheep child gives wholeheartedly and does not demand much in return.

The Monkey

Motto: First gain mastery then create opportunities

Famous Monkeys: Elizabeth Taylor, Mick Jagger

The Monkey child is a quick-witted innovator who loves to be challenged. He is a curious and creative child and needs a lot of mental activity and discipline to contain his competitive nature. This sign represents creative ideas sparked from deep curiousity and ingenuity. Highly social and great at interacting with adults and peers alike, the often hyperactive Monkey child is precocious and makes his wishes and desires known. Communication is vital to him so he learns to talk early and tries to take control of his own little world and that of his parents too. This highly entertaining child will be able to keep track of his possessions and will develop an early inclination to repair toys and put together puzzles that even confound adults. An extrovert who needs little encouragement or validation from others, the Monkey child is an opportunist and strategist who knows how to look out for himself. He is a powerfully gifted individual who is sometimes mischievous. The Monkey is a self-starter who will amaze you with his talents and sheer self-confidence.

The Rooster

Motto: One signs all will follow

Famous Roosters: Joan Collins, Prince Phillip

The Rooster child displays a sense of purpose in everything she does. She tends to be methodical and a creature of habit. She is a quick learner and the most industrious of all the 12 animal signs. To put it simply she loves work and must be kept busy. She enjoys organising her toys and having everything in order. But in spite of her being demanding, critical and even eccentric in her little obsessions she is the most pure-minded and helpful child around. A Rooster child can be depended on to check facts and confirm schedules and information that everyone else takes for granted. Gifted with tremendous amount of energy the intellectual Rooster has a flair for influencing others. She may be very quiet at one extreme or very noisy when her feathers get ruffled, but she is great at analysing things and speaking her mind with impressive eloquence.

The Dog

Motto: Just as fame must be won, honour must not be lost

Famous Dogs: Madonna, Mother Teresa, Winston Churchill

The Dog personality is a traditional and somewhat suspicious soul and will not give his trust too easily. Yet once he does warm up, he will give his wholehearted loyalty to his family. A child board under the Dog sign is sunny and optimistic, but will have a strong temper when stirred. Unselfish, gallant and honest the Dog is not materialist and understands the need for cooperation early in life. He is sometimes too honest for his own good and is a poor liar. The Dog child has a great sense of humour and can forgive easily. His straightforward nature helps him to build strong alliances. The level-headed Dog child is inspired by compassion and looks upon good mentors and parents to guide and love him.

The Boar

Motto: A good heart brings a good reward

Famous Boars: The Dalai Lama, Elton John, Steven Spielberg

A child born under the sign under the Boar is optimistic with lots of energy. This vivacious and enthusiastic child could be a joyous bundle of love, sparkling with vigour. Her dedication is dictated by the strength of motivation she feels, so if she is not motivated, it will be difficult to get her out of bed in the morning. The Boar’s intelligence and people skills are inborn, and she will be popular and likely to succeed wherever she goes. When the Boar is focused, her leadership is incomparable, but when she is left to her own devices, she can be easily depressed and will let everything go. The Boar is easy to love because of her generosity and openness. However, she is naïve in her faith in others and must learn to avoid being taken advantage of. She is the ultimate humanitarian.

The Rat

Motto: All for one and one for all

Famous Rats: Marlon Brando, Shakespeare, Yves St Laurent

A child born in the year of the Rat is unusually alert, inquisitive and intelligent. He needs a lot of love and attention and in return will be extremely affectionate. Outwardly, he may appear shy and quiet but in reality he is competitive and fiercely possessive of his loved ones, especially his mother. He has a fear of abandonment and doesn’t like being left alone for any period of time. The first day of school or change of environment affects Rat children very hard but once he overcome his fears, is sociable and makes friends easily. Rat child will always be generous, forgiving and affectionate to his loved ones, especially his parents.

The Ox

Motto: All things come to those who wait

Famous Ox: Bruce Springsteen, Princess Diana, Walt Disney

The Ox is a sign of strength, dependability and industriousness. Early in life, the Ox displays a sense of purpose in everything she does and tends to be a methodical creature of habit. Responsive and obedient to authority, she is likely to be shy and softly spoken, but don’t underestimate her – she is also very observant and determined. If you are patient with the Ox child, she will respond positively and will show lots of devotion to her loved ones. However an Ox’s silence certainly does not mean consent, and she can be stubborn and unreasonable when thwarted by what she perceives as being unfair or uncalled for. The Ox child needs to learn how to compromise with others and develop a sense of humour to help her take things in her stride. She tends to be too serious and her biggest challenge is learning to meet others halfway or admitting defeat.

Adapted from Chinese Horoscopes for Your child by Theodora Lau, published by Souvenir Press