FOR PARENTS
A new study/analysis suggests that good parents need to be more like cavemen--seriously, it's true!:
"In 2-year-old Nate Macauley's world, the arms of mom and dad — and a small cadre of family friends — are always available for a snuggle, whether it's to help calm the toddler's woes, or just to keep him close. To his mom, Amy, the plentiful hugs and cuddles they lavish on Nate provide an important lesson.  "I want Nate to grow up to be a kind person," says the 33-year-old from Cleveland. "And the way we can do that is to show him kindness.”  The Macauleys' take on parenting — showing compassion for a little one just learning to navigate his world — sounds so easy even a caveman could do it.  In fact, that's just how doting Stone Age parents reared their children, according to three new studies presented this week at a University of Notre Dame conference. While our hunter-gatherer ancestors may not have been big on dental hygiene, they did get it right when it came to raising well-adjusted, empathetic children, says lead researcher Darcia Narvaez, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Notre Dame, whose research focuses on moral development of children.  “They instinctively knew what was right for a child, and children thrived because of that,” claims Narvaez, who discussed her research on hunter-gatherer societies at a meeting exploring the psychological, anthropological and biological conditions related to human development.  When every day brings a new report about packs of student bullies , teenage cyber-harrassment and even 6-year-old kindergarteners terrorizing their less-fashionable peers, a return to Stone Age parenting may be just what we need to reverse what’s widely being called a rampant “culture of mean,” the researchers suggest...Hunter-gatherers , the human way of life until the agricultural revolution about 8,000 years ago, were responsive caregivers, who didn’t let a baby cry it out. Moms breast-fed, probably for about five or six years. Cave kids had hours of unstructured free play, with children of all ages. And the little Pebbles and Bamm-Bamms of that Paleolithic period probably had multiple caregivers who provided nurturing and love. Cavemoms and dads didn’t spank their kids. Rather, they were the first adopters of positive touch, constantly carrying, cuddling and holding their children"

Read the whole thing.  Makes a lot of sense...

FOOTBALL PICK TIME:
I was something like 5-5 last week...

COLLEGE FOOTBALL:

Ohio State at Wisconsin.  My pick:  BADGERS.  I just think Ohio State, which has had a lot of good fortune the past few trips it's taken to Madison, will have its luck run out.  And Wisconsin is capable of an upset.

Iowa at Michigan.  My pick:  WOLVERINES.  I just think Michigan will find a way to pick itself up off the canvas.

Oklahoma State at Texas Tech.  My pick:  RED RAIDERS.  Because they'll outscore 'em at home.  Neither team has much defense.  That usually spells trouble for a visiting team.

NFL PICKS:

Chicago 7 over Seattle.  My pick:  EEARS.  Seattle has been a horrible road team.  And the Bears' defense is suffocating at times (ask Carolina).

San Diego 9 over St. Louis.  My pick:  RAMS.  St. Louis is at home; they've played well there.  San Diego has not played up to expectations so far; I don't see it happening here, at least not yet.

New England 3 over Baltimore.  My pick:  RAVENS.  Are you kidding?  The Ravens have already won at the Jets and at Pittsburgh.  And the Pats now are without Randy Moss.  The Ravens are tough enough to make it 3 big road wins.

NY Giants 10 over Detroit.  My pick: LIONS.  Not to win; but to keep it close.  The Giants have been up and down the last couple of years.  I predict they lose a bit of focus here.

Pittsburgh 14 over Cleveland.  My pick:  BROWNS.  Yes, Big Ben is back; and Colt McCoy has to start at QB for Cleveland.  But Ben R is likely rusty; 14 points is a lot to give against a somewhat-improving Browns squad.