Family life in the United States is changing. Twenty-five years ago the housewife cleaned, cooked and took care of the children. She was the most important person in the home. The father earned the money for the family. He was usually out working all day. He was tired when he came home in the evening. So he did not see the children very much, except on weekends. His work at home was usually outside in the yard. The cooking and the cleaning were for women only.
These days, however, many women work outside the home. They can't be at home with the children all day. They are tired, too, when they come home in the evening. They do not want to spend the evening in cooking dinner. They do not have time to clean the house or wash the clothes. So who is going to take care of the children now? Who is going to do the housework?
For every family the answer to this question may be different. But usually the wife does not have to do all the work herself. Today she can get help. One kind of help is the day-care center. Mothers can leave their children at these centers during the day. Then they are free to go to work. Most children enjoy these centers. They can play with toys and games and other children there.
Another kind of help may come from the company a woman works for. The company may allow her to work part-time. That way, she can earn some money. But she can also be with her children part of every day.
But the most important help a woman can get is from her husband. Today, many men share the housework with their wives. In these families the men clean the kitchen and wash the clothes. On some nights, the wife may cook dinner. On other nights it may be the husband. They may both go shopping and they may clean the house together. The husband may also spend more time at home with the children. Some men may even stop working for a while or work only part-time. For these men there is a new word: the "househusband." In the United States more and more men are becoming househusbands every year.
These changes in the home mean changes in the family. Fathers can be closer to their children because they are at home more. They can learn to understand their children better. The children can get to know their fathers better. Husbands and wives may also find changes in their marriage. They, too, may have a better understanding of each other.