This submissive role of mothers often made them economically and financially vulnerable when the man was no longer present in the family unit through divorce, death, etc. : “The language of family continues to influence our discourse and to crowd out equally valid models of life” (Hochman 320). These are important aspects of mothering, which define the gender biases of patriarchal marital institutions and the resulting burden that often makes it very difficult for women to be a "fit" mother when they have few employment and/or financial options to raise their children and provide for their families. family