The job of raising children is a tough one. Children don’t come with an instruction manual. And each child is different. So parents sometimes 26. in frustration, not knowing what to do. But in raising children — as in all of life — what we do is influenced by our culture. Naturally then, American parents teach their children 27. American values. To Americans, the goal of parents is to help children 28. their own two feet. From the early years of their life, each child may get his or her own room. As children grow, they gain more 29. to make their own choices. Teenagers choose their own forms of entertainment, as well as the friends to 30.. When they reach adult age, they choose their own careers and marriage partners. Of course, many young adult still seek their parents’ advice and 31. for the choices they make. But once they “leave the nest” at around 18 to 21 years old, they want to be on their own, not “tied to their mother’s apron ( 围裙 ) strings.” The relationship between parents and children in America is very 32. . American parents try to treat their children as individuals — not as 33. of themselves. They allow them to fulfill their own dreams. Americans praise and encourage their children to give them the 34. to succeed. When children become adults, their relationship with their parents becomes more like a friendship among equals. But contrary to 35. belief, most adult Americans don’t make their parents pay for room and board when they come to visit. Even as adults, they respect and honor their parents.