There's also the question of whether the children have attended school within the last year and if anyone in the home is disabled (blind, mute, deaf, injured).
I don't recall the census this year asking me my relationship to my husband or children. I believe it just asked the names and ages of the people living here at the home. That sucks from a research POV because it's always nice to know if that "odd" person in the home is an extended family member giving you a clue to a new family name or confirming a family relationship. rofl The old census were definitely more probing than this last one.
“There’s also the question of whether the children have attended school within the last year and if anyone in the home is disabled (blind, mute, deaf, injured).”
Are you talking about this year’s census? The question isn’t if they attended school, it’s if they lived outside the house in college or the military or nursing home, etc... This is to prevent double counting if your college student’s residence is your house, but was counted at his dorm. Or if a spouse was in military housing in training or something.
And you are SO right about being clues. Those census records are invaluable to me. I don’t think others should be forced to participate because they are invaluable to me of course, but I just know how grateful I am for it.