The American Family In
the American family the husband and wife usually share important decision
making. When the children are old enough, they take part
1 . Foreigners are often surprised by the permissiveness of
American parents. The old rule that "children should be seen and not heard" is
rarely 2 , and children are often
allowed to do what they wish without strict parental 3
. The father seldom expects his children to obey him 4 question, and children are encouraged to be
independent 5 an early age. Some people
believe that American parents carry this freedom 6
far. Others think that a strong father image would not 7 the American values of equality and
independence. Because Americans emphasize the importance of independence, young
people are expected to break 8 their
parental families by the time they have 9 their late teens or early twenties. 10 , not to do so is often regarded as a failure, a kind of weak
dependence. This pattern of independence often results in
serious 11 for the aging parents of a
small family. The average American is expected to live
12 the age of 70. The job-retirement age is 13 65. The children have left home, married, and
14 their own households. At least 20
percent of all people over 65 do not have enough retirement incomes. 15 the major problem of many elderly couples is
not economic. They feel useless and lonely with neither an occupation nor a
close family group.