It shouldn't be surprising, then if your little Crab is a bit clingy.  This is not necessarily a problem unless they happen to be over the age of 35.  Then again, if you can get them to hand over their paycheck this can be a good thing.  Another item to bear in mind, however, is that Crabs are ruled by the Moon, which rules everyone's emotions according to which sign it's in.  This gives Cancers a double-whammy, however, as far a personal planets are concerned.  The Moon is the fastest moving astrological entity and makes its rounds through the Zodiac every 28 days or so, which brings an emotional peak to each house ever few days.  Cancers are very sensitive to the Moon and its phases and especially eclipses.  Thus, if your little Crab (literally and figuratively) seems out of sorts, it's a good idea to check what's going on with the Moon before overreacting.

Cancer is also a Water Sign, all of which are driven by emotion, even without all that lunar activity; others in this group include Scorpio and Pisces.  They're all sensitive, intuitive, and feel their emotions so intensely that it is going to take a long time for them to learn to control them.  One thing that helps, however, is when their Natal Moon progresses to another sign. This may have such a dramatic effect that you wonder or possibly even worry what happened to change your child.  Either that or you may have the false hope that s/he is gaining control, only to find out at a later date that it was only a passing phase (pun intended).

Depending on their ascendant and Natal Moon sign this can be either increased or mitigated, but the important thing to bear in mind is that your child is very sensitive, will get his or her feelings hurt easily, needs a lot of affection (which he or she will return generously), and is likely to lose control fairly easily.  The bottom line is s/he cannot help it and if you get too angry or frustrated it will only make it worse because there's a good chance they will pick up on your emotions in addition to their own.

Cancer is a Cardinal Sign so little crabs have no problem making a decision.  They like to be in charge and you can bet if they play "house" when they're little, they will run things quite decisively.  The down side, of course, is that they will not always agree with what you want them to do and won't have any trouble resisting.  On the surface this has the look and feel of defiance, but the good news is that they're using their brain to make a decision, which will come in quite handy later in life.  Your best bet when this happens is to employ the art of negotiation and reason.  Depending on how old they are, you may not get very far with this tact, however, and it may result in a noisy and tearful scene.  This is when you need to remember your child's deeply emotional nature and keep your own in check.  When they calm down be sure to reassure them of your love and explain to them why they couldn't have it their way.  They still may not agree, but over time the rationale will stick with enough repetition.

Since Cancers have such a strong attachment to their family, it's important to involve them with their extended family as well.  They are likely to have a special attraction to their grandmother(s), who can lend much assistance toward teaching them proper behavior since they probably won't see them as someone they need to compete with as much as a parent.  Experiences and lessons involving their grandparents will be well-remembered and integrated into their lives.  This comes in very handy as a respite for parents who need a break occasionally, particularly if you have trouble dealing with an emotional child.  If you are less emotionally inclined, this is not something that you will understand naturally and it will undoubtedly get on your last nerve from time to time.

Another thing to consider regarding their attachment to family is that if you have a family business, chances are quite good that your Cancer child will be the one interested in taking it over someday.  If this is your situation, your child will probably show an early interest in it and involving him or her in everyday operations as soon as they're old enough to understand will be beneficial all around. 

The most important thing to remember is your child's deep, emotional nature.  If you're not comfortable with displays of raw emotion, it will be easy to hurt your child's feelings repeatedly and cause significant damage to their self-image and your relationship.  It's certainly okay to be angry from time to time, but always make sure that you show an increase in affection after any unpleasant scenes to reassure your little Crab that s/he is loved.  Never forget that hugs and kisses are as important to them as balanced meals and clean clothes, maybe even more-so.

Primary Need:  Affection