Thirty or forty years ago, when most mothers in
the United States didn't have jobs, ,homes were busier
places. Children went to school from 9 A.M to 3 P.M.
and spent the most of the time in the house under their__1__
mother's watchful eyes. Children played, watched TV,
and did homework, and while they weren't in the house, __2__
they were outside in the front or backyard or playing
nearly with other neighborhood children.
Though this situation still exists in some communities
today, it is becoming rarer and rarer as more and more
mothers have work inside the home. These "two-income__3__
families" create a different kind of home—one that is a
place to stop temporarily in the midst of a busy schedule __4__
of activities. Because working parents often leave the house
by 8 A.M and return at 5 or 6 P.M, children go to school
and then a series of highly-programmed after-school activities.__5__
So when school lets out for two or three weeks at New Year's
time, many parents may face with a troubling situation.__6__
Some researches show the kind of child-care problem
the holidays can have for busy parents. Even in those families __7__
in which the mother is home, there is often many active __8__
neighborhood full of children playing since most of the other
children are involved in activities. This results from the irony __9__
of both parents and children anxiously look forward to the end__10__
of their vacation.