Stepfamily Division of Labor and Money Management

Stepfamilies headed by same-sex couples are the most common household type for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) families with children. The relational building block from which the stepfamily has taken shape is the relationship between parent and child that predates that of parent and stepparent. In the majority of cases, the child or children enter the family as one partner’s biological or legal child gained through a prior heterosexual relationship. That only one adult has a biological or legal tie to the children in the home helps establish a particular set of dynamics in the way the couple allocates housework, child care, and money management. This entry discusses the arrangements LGBQ families make for dividing household work and managing money.

Studies of stepfamilies led by ...