The Monkey Child

The Monkey child will be captivating. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, he won't keep still for a moment. Mischievous, jovial and very competitive, he will steal his way into your heart. Skillful at flattery and extremely good at playing up to your weaknesses, the incorrigible Monkey will always get what he is after.

Curious, unpredictable and ingenious, this youngster will usually be found fidgeting with some device. Don't be too upset if he breaks his toys. It is simply because he is not attracted by the outer decor; he takes things apart to get inside and see what makes them tick. Intricate or mechanically moving contraptions never fail to amuse or fascinate him. He will be forever tugging at your apron strings and stomping after you with brilliant questions about the universe.

One of these days, when you are about to throw away that unreliable clock that never worked well, your Monkey child will pick it up and fix it with a hairpin. He is never contented with what he has. The grass always look greener to him on the other side. The ambitious and conniving little imp will always have his eye on other people's possessions.

He is constantly goaded to improve himself and he prides himself on his vast accumulation of knowledge and skills. He will be involved in a myriad of activities. Today he will be investigating the theory of photography and tomorrow he may be building himself an amateur radio. The remarkable thing is that the Monkey can spread his attention to several subjects and be able to master them all. He can be snobbish and cocky and will like to tease others with his versatile wit. Optimistic and forever hopeful, he will never concede defeat. He will try and try again until he succeeds.

The Monkey child will have a selfish streak and may refuse to share what he has while skillfully helping himself to other children's toys. Excitable, pretentious and crafty, he will be oblivious of any regulation that restricts him. He should be taught that life is not a one-way street. Even when he does share, he will carefully consider what he can get in return. Even the smallest Monkey is adept at weighing the pros and cons. He will try foul at the slightest edge others may have over him, but he expects you to close both eyes if the scales tip in his favor.

Then, just when you have reached the saturation point and become totally exasperated with him, the Monkey will turn on his sweet saintly smile, apologize from the bottom of his heart, pour flattery all over your wounds and stand on his head to make you laugh. You will forget all the harsh measures you were going to take against him and be his willing captive all over again.