How We Measure up

I've never felt anything special about the ox until this year 'cause you're going to be born in the Year of the Ox, the second in the Chinese zodiac, following the rat (which is your parents' birth sign... both of them).

As we're about the send off the Rat and welcome the Ox, out of curiosity and for fun, I looked up what kind of parents us rat people would be and what baby oxen are all about.

Rat parents
"Rat parents are dedicated to their children. They encompass their little ones with love and attention and enjoy watching their offspring grow and experience the world. When their children are small they brood a great deal over them. Rats become concerned if their babies don't develop as quickly as other children. They anguish over whether or not they are raising their youngsters correctly. With the mental capacity to pick things up easily, Rats tend to get agitated with people who are not quite as quick-witted as they are. No wonder this trait could lead to conflict between Rat parents and their children should any of their children be late bloomers or harbor learning disabilities. Overall, Rats are indulgent parents who don't like denying their youngsters of things they want, and the children soon learn how to wrap their parents around their little fingers."

Baby Oxen
"Children born under the sign of the Ox are quiet and amenable. They develop into solid, independent, resourceful children, and are happiest when left to entertain themselves. If interrupted, provoked or forced to do something against their will, they are likely to pout or show themselves, despite their audience.

Generally, Ox-born children are shy, and for many, childhood is quite lonely partly due to them liking to be alone and partly because their siblings are usually much older or younger than they. At school, subjects with a constructive appeal will be of the most interest to them. They like art and music as well. They are creative children who enjoy sports too. They are respectful, polite, hard-working, children, something their parents take very seriously."