Personally if my ex offered to pay for all their schooling, I'd be fine with that. Kindy is not so bad but after that, the excursions, events and mufti days starts really hurting the bottom line. As it was this week we have spent about $10 on mufti, $25 on an excursion to Sydney, $20 on the sports carnival and $5 on Angies sport. The week before that they had a show on at the school and a different mufti. So that was another $20 week. The school contribution in $150 for the 3 in primary and $155 for Angie in High school. It just keeps adding up. Hell, the first week the high school sent back a permission slip for a $80 overnight peer support camp for Angie. I actually found that horrific - peer support is meant to be for everyone, not just those whose parents can afford it.

But in all honesty, there are some women that dislike the idea - but I fully agree that the one paying the child support should have some actual evidence that the money truly is benefiting the child. When me and DH were separated for a little while, he was asked to pay me $120 a week for the two kids. We made an arrangement that he pays $100 a week off the rent and brings over a bag of nappies and a tin of formula a week. It was just over the $120 and he knew for a fact that it was going to support his kids. Although my XH gives far far less ($28 per month for the two), I keep it aside for their school activities such as the $80 camp and the $25 sydney excursion.

While I do want them to know it benefits their kids - I do believe it has to be day to day expenses - not a bunch of extras. If XH said I had to use it to buy them toys I'd tell him to go jump. Rent, food, clothes, school expenses. The point of child support is to share those.