How Your Sign Affects Your Mothering Style, According To Susan Freakin' Miller

Aries moms love to be outside and are very physical — you'll take your children outside, running and playing ball and getting them into team sports, says Miller. "You love competition and will be signing your children up even when they're little — they won't spend much time inside at the computer," she notes. "At the same time, Aries is also the sign of entrepreneurship, so the Aries mom will encourage her child how much all the sports equipment, registration fees, and everything else cost, and will teach them it’s important to earn money." Miller says you Ram moms might even help your kids open a lemonade stand to help foot the bill for all the activities!

Taurean moms crave security, so a piggybank may be among the first things that goes in the nursery, Miller says. "There's nothing more relaxing for a Taurus than to pour a glass of wine on a Friday night and sit down and read their bank statements, that's just how important the feeling of security that is to this sign." Possible activities this might lead the mom born under the sign of the bull to pursue include bringing the kids down to the bank to show them the vault, meet the tellers, and learn how to make a deposit firsthand. Gardening also feeds the Taurean sense of stability and connects to this Earth sign's practical nature and feeling of rootedness; even city-dwellers can grow potted tomatoes or marigolds on the fire escape or an herb garden on the windowsill.

Geminis are the great communicators of the zodiac, Miller says, and this will come through in how they interact with their children. "The Gemini mom will love reading to her kids, taking them to the library, she'll loves checking out books, talking to them about books, even watching children's TV shows with them and talking about them," she says. "She'll start talking to her children like mini adults, in complete sentences, very early, and she'll get her children talking very early." With this love of language and communications, Miller also says that it's not unusual for moms under the sign of the Twins to choose a bird as a pet, with their cunning ability to mimic human speech and song.

With the well-deserved reputation as the homebody of the zodiac, Cancer moms tend to love spending a lot of time in the kitchen, and their children will have "such wonderful memories of cooking and baking with their mothers," Miller says. The Crab is all about family, and is most comfortable when ensconced within this unit, although traveling isn't a problem, as long as it's within the family setting — so coordinate the extended family and rent several houses at the beach or in the mountains or just get everyone together at a big ol' camp site and you'll be in your happy place. "The Cancer mother will set up all the family traditions," Miller says, so holiday routines, and even your weeknight schedule, is probably a source of great comfort for you.

Children who end up with a Leo mom get both a nurturer and a playmate, Miller says. "Leo is the child inside, so they're very free, creative, and open to experimentation," she says. "Leo mothers give their children lots of raw materials and expose them to lots and lots of different artistic expressions to see what they gravitate to, then encourage them and work with them to pursue whatever they take to." The Lion of zodiac also loves costumes, so whether it's princess or pirate, homemade or store-bought, there will plenty of dress-up: "The Leo mother would make Halloween a national holiday if it were up to her," Miller laughs. If you're a Leo mom, you might also feel drawn to the drama, and encourage your children to participating in plays either around the house or out.

Gifted with an abundance of fine motor skills, you Virgo moms will try something that utilizes these same talents in your children — maybe piano lessons, maybe guitar. Virgos are also focused on language, which will lead you to get your child a computer very early and spend a lot of time talking with him or her to build up their vocabulary. "The Virgo mother will help her child endlessly with homework, or she'll get her child a tutor — Virgo is very efficient, and very practical when it comes to problem-solving." Miller says. Speaking of challenges, you Virgos also love games, so you'll delight in introducing your kids to Scrabble, chess, Boggle — anything you can play together and/or as a family.

While Libra is known as the sign of fairness, you're not solely stuck holding the scales — those arms can accommodate lot of shopping bags, too, and you're brilliant at picking out clothes for your children that express their personalities rather than making them into miniature adults or going with trends of the day. "Shopping expeditions with mommy will be something the child of a Libra mom really remembers," Miller says. You Libra moms love entertaining, too. "Libra mothers adore occasions that bring people together and excel at making original parties, even for no reason whatsoever," Miller says. "Even if you’re not the well-heeled mother, you’ll find a way to throw the most amazing gatherings… She’ll have a party for no reason." As for day trips? For the Libra mom, there's no better place to visit than an art museum.

The Scorpion of the zodiac favors more private, one-on-one relationships, and for a Scorpio mom, this results in a deep, emotional bond with your children. Your private nature also lends itself to an interest in spying, which you can channel into fun and games with your children, Miller says. "They love to be detectives, so they might take their child to the spy shop or play detective games, games where you have to figure things out, games with clues." I told Miller my own mother is a Scorpio and how my favorite activity when I was little was a treasure hunt she laid out across my grandparents' extensive property for me and my cousins. We'd follow clue after clue to find the ultimate prize of a pile of quarters and some candy, and it kept us busy for hours so Mom could read (her detective novel, of course) in peace!

Sagittarius likes to be on the move. "Travel is like oxygen, and she takes her children along," says Miller. Even if you don't have the wherewithal to pick up and go, you can satisfy your urge by honoring the intellectual curiosity that motivates you. "Learning is what's behind the Sagittarius need to get out; this is the inquisitive mother, so when it's not possible to actually travel, spin the globe, pick a place, and research it — look at that city, the people, the language they speak, try the foods, etc." Miller notes that Sagittarius, the archer of the zodiac, is a very athletic sign, but with a twist: She suggest you get out there and give outdoorsy, adventuresome activities a try, like camping and hiking. "You'll also enjoy both petting zoos and standard zoos, since Sags like large animals like elephants and giraffes."

I'm a Capricorn, and Miller's rundown of me as a mom both cut a little close to the bone and was deadly accurate. Hold my hand, fellow Cappies. "Capricorns are very ambitious, and you almost have to slow a Capricorn mom down," Miller told me. "They’re very goal-oriented, and they sometimes go a little overboard because they really want their children to do well." Deep breath. Yes, that's me, and I'm trying to relax. Also true was what Miller had to say about the Capricorn love of history and how we enjoy sharing that with our kids. Miller caught me in the crosshairs one last time with this: "Anything related to the Earth is interesting to the Earth-sign Capricorn mother. They love hiking, and taking their kids on walks in nature." I went on a field trip with my younger son where we hiked 22 miles in two days earlier this year and was never happier, so I'm officially putting the stamp of authenticity on what Susan has to say for everybody here.

The Water Bearer is a very social sign, so you Aquarius moms will excel with setting up play-dates and will set up lots and lots of them, both for your kids' sake and for your own. Miller says a top spot for a day trips for Aquarians is the planetarium: "You'll want to learn about the stars and share that with your children, and you also have a tendency to be analytical and be drawn to the sciences," she says. These interests will show themselves back at home, too, Miller adds. "Aquarius moms will want to provide their children with a computer very early, and will want their children to be immersed in different languages, because it helps in their studies of the sciences and in communicating socially." Your social side comes with an empathy that results in an increased connection with groups who suffer, Miller says. "Aquarius moms will encourage their children to be socially conscious, getting their kids involved with things like helping at a food bank or a charity drive at school."

Pisces is a very thoughtful, gentle sign, and you Pisces moms may be like still rivers but run very deep, says Miller. You may be brilliant at poetry or art or have a real appreciation for writing or sketching and will enjoy introducing your children to these quiet pursuits... but it's not all quiet. "Pisces don’t like to sit so they will like to be doing active things, especially things involving the feet," Miller says. "Dance or soccer are especially popular pursuits for Pisces moms to get their children involved in." You Pisces moms also tend to like crafting or making things and enjoy passing these skills along to your kids, whether that's sewing, cooking, crafting, DIY like carpentry, electronics, even coding, anything where you can work together on a project that involves the hands.