Who does one consider to be the head of a particular household? Economic circumstances have much to do with that designation. As pointed out Janet Adamy, a century ago, father’s were typically considered to be the head of household. That status often derived from dad’s role as the sole breadwinner.
But as labor force participation began increasing among women in the 1970s and the distribution of spousal earnings narrowed, women acquired more leverage. A paper authored by economists at the University of Maryland and Indiana University suggests that power within the household is shifting once again, but in a rather surprising direction.
The paper concludes that the rise in two-income households and the decline in the number of children couples are having is placing more authority in the hands of children. The average number of children per household fell significantly between 1990 and 2010. The corresponding decline in family size has reduced competition between children for resources from their parents, giving children, and helping to explain why so many of us spend our free time driving them around.