Paying child support

Do not tell your children that you pay their custodial parent child support and therefore should not have to buy any extras. When the children ask you to buy them clothes or give them extra money, do it if you can afford it. If you cannot afford the extras, then compromise with the child by either giving them half, or whatever is reasonable. Often, custodial parents use the children by having them ask their non custodial parent for things that child support is supposed to cover. This places the children in the middle and the non custodial in a difficult position. The child feels as though they must fight for what they need as they are being manipulated by their custodial parent. By reasoning with the child rather than pointing out that you pay child support you will open lines of communication with the child, and put the custodial parent on the defensive.