Sa'iyda Shabazz holding hands with her son and stepmom
The writer, left, and her son with his stepmom.
  • My wife has been in my son's life since he was 6 years old.
  • She has taken on a parental role, stepping in whenever I need extra help.
  • Even though she's his stepmom, my son considers her his other mom.

After Vice President Kamala Harris announced she was running for president, one criticism lobbed against her was that she is not a parent because she has never given birth to children. But she is the stepmother to her husband Doug Emhoff's two children.

Like Harris, my wife is a stepmother to my son.