Redheaded Neanderlady

Redheaded Neanderlady
This is a photoshopped version of something I found in National Geographic about the time I started researching

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Neandertoddlers?

John Hawks has a two-year-old. And I agree with him --- two year olds are not Neandertals, whatever else they may be. Heck, even Neandertal two year olds probably weren't "Neandertals", though they doubtless wore their parents out! I don't think things have changed that much in 40,000 years. But Harvey Karp, author of a parenting book called The Happiest Toddler On the Block, which came out about four years ago, seems to think otherwise. Really, I don't know why people think later "archaic" humans were all that different from "us", or more "childlike" or whatever. I thought this kind of thinking went out with the 19th century. But apparently I was mistaken, even if, as Dr. Hawks suggests, the guy's parenting advice is perfectly good.

Note: This is a sort of disclaimer. Having parented a two year old myself once upon a time, I can understand the temptation, but no, I repeat: two year olds are not Neandertals!
Anne G

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