Recently released data from the US Census Bureau show that holiday gatherings now most likely look much different than they did in the 1960s, when 73 percent of US children lived with two married heterosexual parents in their first marriage.


In contrast today:

• 41 percent of children are born outside of marriage.
• 15 percent of children are living with two parents who are in a remarriage.
• 6 percent of children are living with a step-parent.
• 34 percent of children are living with an unmarried parent—compared to 9 percent in 1960, and 19 percent in 1980. In most cases, these unmarried parents are single.
• About 5 percent are not living with either parent, but rather a grandparent.

Note that due to concerns about the quality of the data regarding same-sex marriage, children whose parents are identified as in this type of union are counted by the Pew Research Center in the "single parent" category.

Read more:
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/12/22/less-than-half-of-u-s-kids-today-live-in-a-traditional-family/
https://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2013C.html

TeachingwithData.org resources:
June Cleaver: Myth or Reality?: A Data-Driven Learning Guide (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3453)
Exploring the Second Shift: A Data-Driven Learning Guide (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3240)
Predictors of Family Structure (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3099)
Diversity in Family and Household Patterns (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3111)
Changes in Families and Households: 1950-2000 (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3106)