24、In the American family the husband and wife usually share important decision-making. When the children are old enough, they take part as well. Foreigners are often surprised by the permissiveness (宽容) of American parents. Children are often allowed to do pretty much _ _ 21 _ _ they wish without strict control by their parents. Children are encouraged to be _ _ 22 _ _ at an early age. Some people believe that American parents carry this freedom too far. Others think that a strong parental image would not suit American values. Because Americans emphasize the importance of independence, young people are expected to break away from their families by the time they have _ _ 23 _ _ their late teens or early twenties. This pattern of independence often raises serious problems for the aging parents of a small family. The average American is expected to live _ _ 24 _ _ the age of 70. The job-retirement age is usually 65. The children have left home, married, and _ _ 25 _ _ their own households. Often the major problem of many elderly couples is not economic, but they feel useless and lonely with neither an occupation nor a close family ties.