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