What Types of Children Are Challenging to Raise into Adulthood?

Every person has a destiny, and part of it is beyond our control. From a Buddhist perspective, being human in this life is the culmination of countless past lives' efforts; it often reflects a significant accumulation of good deeds and blessings. The same applies to children born into human form. However, the depth of each person’s blessings and wisdom varies. Some children struggle to grow due to a lack of blessings. For parents who face great hardship in raising their children, it often stems from a weak karmic bond with their offspring.

So, what kind of facial features do children who are difficult to raise have? Is it impossible to change their destiny? From a physiognomic perspective, children with the following features tend to be harder to raise and require extra attention:

1. Voice

A person’s voice is a clear indicator of their vitality. The voice reflects the strength of one's kidney energy, essential to life force. Hence, Guo Lu stated: "If a newborn's cries are continuous, it indicates longevity. If the cries become intermittent and stop suddenly, it signals a lack of longevity." Intermittent cries mean that the sound suddenly ceases and is followed by silence. Additionally, if a newborn's cries are weak and scattered, it suggests difficulty in reaching adulthood; similarly, if the cries are deep or the baby seems unable to cry out forcefully, it suggests the same.

2. Fontanelle Closure

The fontanelle is a soft spot on a person's head, sometimes visibly pulsating, indicating a child's developmental stage. If a child's fontanelle is poorly closed, it generally suggests poor physical development. Thus, Guo Lu observed: "If the fontanelle is not closed, difficulties will arise by the age of eight."

3. Poor Occipital Bone Development

The occipital bone is the back part of the skull. In traditional Chinese medicine, it's believed that the kidneys connect to the ears; ample kidney energy leads to sharp hearing. The ears connect to the brain, nourished by kidney essence. If kidney energy is lacking, it can cause dizziness and tinnitus. Poor occipital bone development is definitely a sign of insufficient kidney energy. Therefore, Guo Lu noted: "If the occipital bone is poorly developed, one may speak but not survive." This is because speaking further depletes already insufficient kidney energy.

4. Yang Not Entering Yin

According to traditional Chinese medicine, during the day, Yang emerges from Yin, and at night, Yang returns to Yin. If Yang does not return to Yin, it leads to insomnia. Such children are often hyperactive, unable to sustain energy levels, and without replenishment, they become prone to health problems. Thus, Guo Lu said: "If Yin is as though absent, it indicates an early death."

5. Excessive Sweating, Lack of Sweating, or Blood Sweating

Children who sweat excessively or do not sweat at all may have an impaired metabolic capacity, leading to frequent colds, poor immunity, and excessive depletion that’s hard to replenish. Hence, the ancients said: "Excessive sweating or lack thereof indicates early demise." Blood sweating is even more serious; it poses challenges for adults, let alone children.

6. Body Soft as if Boneless

A soft body, lacking firmness as if without bones, suggests poor foundational bone development, signaling insufficient kidney essence. This indicates weak vitality and requires careful attention. The ancients also mentioned: "If the pelvic bone is poorly developed, one might die arrogantly; if the palm bones are poorly developed, one might crawl to death; if the heel bones are poorly developed, one might die while walking; if the kneecap bones are poorly developed, one might die while standing."

7. Small and Low Navel

The navel, the point where the body's meridians converge, should be deep and large. If small and low, it indicates limited capacity for energy and blessings. Poor energy accumulation or weak gathering ability makes sustaining life difficult. Children, whose life functions are not fully developed, may face severe issues if their energy cannot properly gather.

8. Early Walking, Speaking, and Teething

Human physical development follows a natural standard and timeline. If a child walks, speaks, or teethes prematurely, it may not be a positive sign. This may reflect a lack of self-control, management challenges, and risks such as careless eating, which can lead to digestive issues or other dangers due to negligence.

9. Four Cracks in the Head

The "four cracks" refers to a child's poor closure ability of skull bones, making the head appear split into four parts. This also indicates insufficient kidney energy and weak vitality.

10. Frequent Hand and Foot Movements

Children who unconsciously shake their hands and feet often experience discomfort, resulting in hyperactivity. This is naturally a sign of poor health.

11. Sparse Hair

Hair results from abundant qi and blood. Sparse hair typically indicates insufficient qi and blood, reflecting poor health and difficulty in growing up.

12. Body Not Retracting

"Body not retracting" implies that while there’s no pain, the limbs and bones can't move freely. This usually points to a wind syndrome, previously considered serious and still significant today.

13. Inability to Erect the Penis

For boys, an inability to achieve an erection signals insufficient Yang energy, resulting in various health issues, making proper development challenging.

14. White or Red Scrotum

A white scrotum indicates excessive Yin energy, while a red one signals excessive Yang energy. Both denote Yin-Yang imbalance and weak physical constitution, making these children hard to raise.

15. Children with Exceptional Intelligence

Firstly, these children develop prematurely and are exceptionally intelligent, leading to excessive energy expenditure and insufficient physical and mental replenishment. Secondly, they may lack the blessings of notable people, complicating their upbringing.

16. Children Who Can Anticipate Others' Intentions

For similar reasons, they may also be extraordinary spirits reincarnated. In any case, experience shows that inflexibility leads to breakage, and excessive preciousness leads to loss. The question remains whether one can endure their fate.

17. Fish Mouth

In traditional Chinese medicine, "fish mouth disease" refers to a swelling or abscess in the groin area. Before it ruptures, it's called "toxic stool"; once ruptured, it's termed "fish mouth." This suggests that the child has unexpelled bodily toxins, naturally causing concern. In physiognomy, "fish mouth" refers to a mouth resembling that of a carp or catfish, where the mouth is small, lips thin, and mouth corners low and pointed. If combined with poor energy and spirit, it suggests inadequate eating capacity, pickiness, and health issues, making them hard to raise.

18. Urine Thick as Cream

In modern medicine, this describes characteristics of chyluria, commonly caused by thoracic duct obstruction, local lymphangitis, or lymphatic changes, causing lymph fluid to enter the urinary tract. Children with this condition are typically hard to raise.

19. Lack of Flesh Between the Thighs

This refers to dull-colored, less flesh between the thighs, indicating poor kidney function or obstructed qi and blood flow. Such children are naturally difficult to raise.

If you have a baby showing signs of early mortality, do not despair! Where there is Buddhist guidance, there is hope.

Causes of longevity: past or present acts of kindness, animal protection, life-releasing practices, advocating life-release principles, and supporting vegetarianism. Conditions for longevity: maintaining a calm heart, avoiding anger, living a balanced life, regulating diet (avoiding overeating), ensuring balanced nutrition, and avoiding overexertion.

Causes of early death include past or present life instances of animal harm or abuse. Conditions for early death: frequent anger, overeating, excessive labor, and bad company.

Longevity is closely related to compassion. As the saying goes, "The benevolent live long." A kind and generous person will be rewarded. Those who live long in this life have benefitted animals in past or present lives. Conversely, those who die young are often the result of past or current animal harm.

In such circumstances, it reminds us to accumulate blessings, perform good deeds, and seek refuge in the Three Jewels. If our karmic patterns show negativity, these situations can improve; encouraging children to connect with Buddhism and Taoism, caring for small animals, refraining from harm, and engaging in life-releasing practices may lead to healthy growth and potentially extraordinary accomplishments.