You can use the synonym clue in understanding the meaning of the underlined word. The other word synonymous to it might be more familiar to you so it would be a lot easier. The synonym clue says the word in a simple way.
Answer. It emphasizes the boys' desire to follow rules.
The writer makes this clear when he says that even when the parents were not around to discipline his actions, Maurice still felt the guilt or the 'unease of wrongdoing'. Even though that he was thinking about an excuse, he was not feeling good about wrongdoing.
You just rephrase it in your own words, but don't make the sentence too weak. Just write it in a way you would write it.
Answer:
what to do for her children bc she has a worried fece on her and then the children are like crying