In the United States the cost of living has been steadily
rising for the past few decades. Food prices, clothing costs, housing expenses,
and tuition fees are (36) getting higher and higher. Partly
because of (37) need, and partly because of career choices
for personal (38) , mothers have been leaving the
(39) role of full-time homemaker. Increasingly they have been
going out of home and taking (40) jobs in the
society. Making such a significant role change (41)
the life of the entire family, especially the children’s. Some
(42) are obvious. For example, dinnertime is at a later hour.
Mothers leave home early in the morning, feeling (43) because
they will not be at home when their children return from school. They suppress
their guilt since they believe that their work will benefit everyone in the long
run. (44) . The emotional impact on the
children can be significant. After all, they are alone for several hours during
the daytime, and they feel that their mothers should be there for them.
(45) . All too often, however, the mothers arrive home
exhausted and face the immediate task of preparing dinner for the family.
(46) .