I received an email reminding me that stepparents, like Ms. Harris, may not have biological children.
In 2021, there were 49 million households with children. The majority of these households had a woman as head of household. Thirty-eight percent of Asian households were headed by a woman, the lowest for any group. Seventy percent of Black households were headed by women, the highest for any group.
Table 1. Households with Children
Source: American Community Survey, 2022
Thirty-eight percent, 2.8 million, of all households with children have stepchildren. The data report household members by their relationship to the head of the household, so we need to know the actual count of stepparents.
For example, Ralph has a daughter, Rhonda, and marries Thelma, who does not have children. Rhonda is Thelma’s stepchild. However, in the data, Rhonda will be categorized as a child because Ralph is the head of the household. As a result, Table 2 underestimates the number of stepparents, particularly stepmothers, since men are likelier to be the head of the household in heterosexual households. How stepchildren are categorized will hinder researchers’ ability to calculate the unpaid labor provided by stepparents.
Table 2. Households with Stepchildren
Source: American Community Survey, 2022
Research finds that stepfathers are more likely to claim their stepchildren as their own than stepmothers, 70% vs. 35% on average. Where the child lives is believed to explain this result, i.e., stepfathers are more likely to live at the primary residence of the stepchild (van Houdt, 2022). The age when the child becomes a stepchild also matters.
I have a stepfather, Aubrey. He occasionally edits my WISER Wednesdays, without pay, of course. Aside from his taste in football teams (Dallas Cowboys fan), I am proud to have him as my stepdad.
Next week, I’ll provide data on same-sex marriages and stepparents.
This week, we wish a happy birthday to former WISER Board member Pedro da Costa, 8/18.
