The brain drain is characterized as the emigration of highly skilled laborers to other countries. 【小题1】 In the EU countries such as Poland, Italy and Portugal are especially affected by the brain drain, while other countries such as Sweden, Ireland and Denmark notice the opposite effect, namely brain gain.

There are both push and pull factors affecting the brain drain. Pull factors include higher employment rates, higher salary and an increase in quality of life, while the push factors are high youth unemployment and high enterprise death rates.

【小题2】These effects include a reduction in human capital, limited capacity to innovate, reduced economic growth, and a higher cost of public goods. There are positive side effects as well, such as return migration and incentives (动机) for investment in education.

This calls for a territorial approach. The European Committee of the Regions, therefore, suggests that local and regional authorities develop instruments and promote measures to increase the attractiveness of the regions facing the brain drain. They should also set up local alliances (联盟). 【小题3】

The brain drain’s negative effects have been key concerns of the EU. As current economic and social differences between European regions are the main cause of the brain drain, the need for a strong association between Europe’s cohesion (凝聚) policies has been stressed. 【小题4】 This will also help in adopting the measures expected to fight against the problem of the brain drain including investing in education and employment in European regions.

A study launched by an organization of the EU analyzed several programs across Europe. 【小题5】These are steps like understanding the need for skilled workers, creating mechanisms for cooperation between governments, corporations and universities, removing structural barriers, etc.

Researchers from the University of Western Australia recently studied 3,000 middle and high school students. Among them were 618 teenagers with one parent who lived away from home for long periods of time because of work. The researchers wanted to know how the work of these “fly-in, fly-out" parents might influence the health of their children.

A higher percentage of teenagers who experienced the long work absence of a parent had emotional or behavioral problems compared with those whose parents worked more traditional hours. This supports earlier research finding high percentages of emotional problems in teenagers who often returned to an empty house after school or whose parents were seldom at dinner.

Findings also suggest that parents don’t have to be home all the time to be present in their children’s lives, but it helps to be home at certain times. And the best parental presence for a teenager may sometimes be like a potted plant.

Many parents of teenagers have known this to be true and find ways to be present without trying to start a conversation. One friend of mine quietly does housework each evening in the sitting room where her teenagers watch TV.

They enjoy one another’s company without the need to talk. Another friend usually accepts his daughter's invitation to work or read nearby while she sits and does her homework. Perhaps, that, at least for some families, is the best way for a teenager and their parents to stay close.

In fact, many years of research suggest that children use their parents as a safe base from which to explore the world. Studies tell us that young children quietly follow their parents’ movements from room to room, even while carrying on with their own activities. Perhaps our teens, like babies, feel most at ease when their parents are still around. They don’t want to stay away from parents who allow them freedom.

A new school year is at hand, so as parents we could offer our teenagers a “potted flower" as a gift, whose quiet and steady presence will give them a great day.

French parenting isn’t perfect, but there’s a lot we can learn from this kind but no-nonsense style of parenting.

French children are allowed to handle difficult things themselves. 【小题1】 The early years are when they discover all the cool ways their new body works and how to use it. To encourage this autonomy, French parents treat children more like adults-in-training than helpless babies. They believe kids feel confident when they’re able to deal with things on their own.

Fearful of hurting feelings, American parents tend to praise every child for everything. 【小题2】 However, all that praise eventually turns out to be pointless. By contrast, French adults give children appropriate praise, thus allowing them to feel a true sense of achievement and take pride in what they learn.

Painful experiences are the best learning opportunities and sheltering children from this fact of life will merely delay their emotional development. French doctors never say “sorry” when giving kids shots. The French believe undergoing hurts, is part of life and that there’s no reason to apologize for that. 【小题3】

Plus, the expectation of eye contact and a polite hello starts from the minute French children can say hello. They know saying “hello” and good manners are non-negotiable. Teaching them about that will benefit them for a lifetime. 【小题4】 Be patient with little ones as they learn.

All the above feels easier said than done, especially as a tired parent facing an intolerable child. 【小题5】 Your efforts will end up with children’s better behaviour overall.