Challenging the Myth of the Wicked Stepmother Stepmothers may have less fun parenting, but there's no evidence to support the myth that they are tougher on their stepchildren than other mothers are toward their biological or adopted children. That's the conclusion of a report by David Cheal sponsored by Human Resources Development Canada. Data show that 4.3 percent of children aged 11 or younger live with a biological parent and a step-parent. About 40 percent of all parents report that they often punish their children.
More children live with stepfathers than stepmothers.
One major gap between myth and reality has to do with raw numbers. While the wicked stepmother doesn't appear in the data, unfortunately there do seem to be more problems in step-families. Such families probably have multiple stresses, including financial strains, which some parents may find hard to handle. Stepchildren report more difficult family relationships. In addition, the study compared the feelings of children in stepfamilies to those living with both biological parents.