Why it’s important: Giving a child a slap on the bottom when he misbehaves is still a surprisingly common go-to. One estimate found that 80 percent of parents do it on occasion. “Parents can fall back on how they were parented. They say, ‘This is what my parents did, and I turned out okay,’ ” notes David L. Hill, M.D., a Parents advisor and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). “So I tell them, ‘I am so glad you did! But we have a lot more information now about better ways to do things.’” Last year, the AAP issued its most strongly worded policy statement, saying that spanking can cause harm and parents should never hit a child. Try to guide kids’ behavior in ways that build your bond rather than fray it, advises Dr. Hill. “Praise the behavior you do like, especially when that thing is hard for your child. The more you call attention to the good stuff, the more of it you’ll see.”