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Every separated couple knows co-parenting requires balance and compromise.

But when one parent starts penny-pinching over the smallest expenses, the cracks in their delicate arrangement become too glaring to ignore.

Read on for the full story!

WIBTA to ask my (separated) husband for the key back to my house?

I (45F) am separated from my husband (41M). We have two kids in primary school.

The kids and I moved into a house in March, while my husband stayed in our old apartment.

We made a commitment to co-parent as collaboratively as possible.

So she made good on her promise.

I gave him a key to my new home to make co-parenting more comfortable for him when I am out of town for work.

But she started feeling the financial pinch, so she asked for help.

Since I moved out, I have been covering all expenses for the kids (clothes, food, school costs, etc.).

I asked if he could start contributing financially because it was getting tough to do it all on my own.

He obliged at first.

In August, he started giving me $200 every two weeks for the kids.

A few months ago, the shower caddy in my bathroom fell and broke the drain stopper in the tub.

I bought a new one but had trouble with it.

There were times where he was helpful.

My husband came over to look at it and said I bought the wrong one.

He told me, “Don’t worry – I’ll take care of it for you and the kids.”

He purchased a new drain stopper and came over to install it.

But then came the penny pinching.

One week later, he sent me $180 on Venmo with an emoji of two kids, suggesting it was the money to help with the kids’ expenses.

He then sent me a text that said, “I sent you $180. I deducted $20 from the $200 to cover the drain stopper I bought and installed.”

I told him this was a miserable move on his part, but he insisted that he shouldn’t have to pay for the drain stopper for my house.

He deducted $20 from his kids’ financial support to pay for something that his kids benefit from.

So she’s starting to feel less generous towards him as well.

Now, I want to ask him to give me the key to my house back.

If he is going to nickel and dime, he should not have access to my home.

The kids have everything they need at his apartment, so they actually do not need access to my house while I am out of town.

So, WIBTA if I ask for my key back?

I am afraid it might come across as petty.

Do his actions warrant me taking my key back and not giving him access to my house?

The cost of co-parenting is starting to feel just a tad too high.

What did redditors have to say?

This commenter doesn’t think the husband should have the keys, but both parties need to express their needs better.

This user sees the parenting responsibilities as quite imbalanced.

As painful as it might be, it might be time to get the legal system involved.

It’s clear the husband isn’t doing his fair share, and because of that, she doesn’t owe him the benefit of the doubt.

Co-parenting requires healthy boundaries. Enforcing them may not be easy, but it’s for the best.

Either help out or get out!

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.