There have been big changes in the attitudes of most parents over the last few years. Physical punishment is banned（禁止）in schools in most countries, and in many countries, there are moves to ban all physical punishment of children even at home. However, many parents still believe that they have the right to use physical punishment to deal with certain misbehavior at certain ages.

It's easy to find reasons to allow physical punishment. One issue is that many parents find it very difficult to give up physical punishment completely. Parents argue that this is the way they were brought up and that it didn't do any harm to them. They believe that they have the right to punish the child in any way they consider fit, including using physical punishment. The other one is that physical punishment can be quick and effective. There is not much point reasoning with a screaming child in the supermarket.

However, there are several reasons why we should stop using physical punishment. One point is that most parents are not trained to deal with misbehaving children. They don't have enough resources or choices to handle the situation. As a result, they immediately react by hitting the child even if there are other solutions to the problem. Another point is that unless people are challenged or forced to change their belief, they may keep following negative habits. An example is the use of seat belts -now most people wear seat belts without thinking, while years ago the idea of using seat belts was strange to most people. In the same way, banning physical punishment will force people to change their habits.

In conclusion, parents have to change some of their beliefs and ideas about how children should be raised. It is possible to avoid the use of physical force, and doing so will help us move closer to the dream of removing violence from our society.

Children find meanings in their old family tales.

When Stephen Guyer's three children were growing up，he told them stories about how his grandfather，a banker，_____ all in the 1930s，but did not lose sight of what he valued most. In one of the _____ times when his strong-minded grandfather was nearly _____，he loaded（装载）his family into a car. And he _____ them to see family members in Canada with a _____，“there are more important things in life than money”.

The _____ took on a new meaning recently when Mr. Guyer moved to a _____ house from a more expensive and comfortable one. He was _____ that his children，a daughter，15，and twins，22，would be upset. To his surprise，they weren't. _____，their reaction echoed（类似）their great-grandfather's. What they ______ was how warm the people were in the house and how ______ their heart was accessible.

Many parents are finding family stories have surprising power to ______ children through hard times. Storytelling experts say the phenomenon reflects a growing ______ in telling tales，evidenced by a rise in storytelling events and festivals.

A university ______ of 65 families with children aged from 14 to 16 found kids' ability to ______ parents' stories was linked to a lower rate of anger and anxiety.

The ______ is telling the stories in a way children can ______ them. We're not talking here about the kind of story that ______，“When I was a kid，I walked to school every day uphill，barefoot in the snow.”Instead，we should choose a story suited to the child's ______，and make eye contact（接触）to create“a personal experience”. We don't have to tell children what they should ______ from the story and what the moral is.

   Communicating with your child's teacher is one way to help him succeed at school. But just how often should you contact the teacher，and what questions should you ask？How can you help your child succeed in school？

Jerry Parks，a social studies teacher is. to share his thoughts. Parks keeps in touch with parents through emails，class websites，and phone calls. " Parents who take an active interest in their children's work and school well-being are one of the biggest contributors to my students' success，"Parks says. Children of involved parents typically have higher self-esteem（自尊）and have fewer behavior problems in school. And students' grades usually improve when their parents become involved.

Parks suggests the top 6 ways parents can help their children succeed in school: first，make sure your child is at school every day possible. Missed work is generally more of a loss than made-up work is a gain；second，set a time and a place for your child to do homework. If he does not have homework，have him use the time to read；third，keep in touch with teachers，but don't do it too much. Most teachers appreciate parents caring enough to keep in touch a few times a term but do not appreciate parents expecting to contact on a regular basis. Besides，it seems appropriate to ask the teacher whether she thinks your child is giving his best effort in class and whether she has noticed any significant changes in your child's behavior or grades. More importantly，teach your child to build a character—it will improve social and academic skills more than anything else. Some things are simply wrong，and the world your child will grow up in will punish crimes，so give your child a head start. Last but not least，make time every day to talk with your child about the day's activities. Let him know you care，and really listen to what he has to say.

   Some of my fondest memories with my family are from when I was in middle school， when the three of us enjoyed trips that I remember vividly to this day. But during my younger days， like 4 or 5 years old， we vacationed in places like Cancun， Jamaica and Hawaii and I can't tell whether I actually recall those memories or whether I'm filling in the gaps through photo albums.

A frequent discussion I have with my coworkers and friends，' who are also in their 20s， is how we wish our parents had taken us on more vacations when we were much older. What I suggest is to hold off on those grand vacations until your kid is about 12， when they can begin to understand what a privilege is， and you can save the international travel until they're in high school. Of course， I do understand that sometimes， it's not the kids but the parents who just want to enjoy a vacation. But in other cases， when the main goal is to create family memories， you can still accomplish that in other ways.

It wasn't until college that I realized how important travel is， and I can't tell you how many times I've thought about wanting to redo those family trips now. Especially during a time in my life when an international trip is outside of my budget， I think about how much money my parents spent on our vacations that ended up being a complete blur.

I'm not telling you to deprive （剥夺） your children of fun family memories， either. I'm simply arguing that you should travel locally or within your state. Although your little ones might not care about the destination， they will remember that you are all together and have a great time. That's the  most important thing， anyway.