Things can certainly get messy when split custody also means multiple families.

For instance, what if one parent is wealthier than another?

Let’s take a look…

AITA for not buying for or making my son share school supplies with his step and half siblings?

I have one son who is 15.

My ex and I broke up when he was 1 and my ex is now married to someone else and has three more children and two stepchildren

We split 50-50 custody and have always purchased things for each house instead of stuff that goes between houses.

Only now my ex and his wife are financially struggling and they are resentful because my son got all new things for school this year, that I purchased, and they had to reuse old stuff for their other kids.

They tried going the donation route.

At first I was asked to donate supplies to them in order to show we’re all one family, which we’re not.

We have a common family member but I am not my ex’s family and he is not mine.

This would never be done if the shoe was on the other foot and he was always especially possessive of things he bought for our son when our son was younger.

Then they tried another tactic.

When this failed my ex decided our son should share what he has with the other kids so my son decided to take none of it to his dad’s house.

He finishes homework at school and leaves his supplies in his locker for the next day.

My ex told me I should not be okay with this.

But I am.

It’s not my job to buy these other kids supplies and my son NEEDS his own supplies.

Why should I ask him to give away stuff he needs?

I asked my ex and he said more could be purchased.

I told him that’s as good as making me buy for his kids who are not mine and I told him that will never happen.

And now it’s a whole big fight.

Ex’s wife told me I am a selfish **** and how ******* dare I make her kids feel like **** when they see my son with everything shiny and new and they don’t have that.

I told her that’s for her and my ex to figure out. Not for me.

My ex said I was teaching our son to not help family and that I’m being spiteful against kids.

I asked him would he be so willing to help any child of mine I had after him and he told me it’s different because men always have to pay child support and I asked him why his stepkids don’t have child support being paid that could have given them the money for new supplies.

At that point the conversation ended but they are extremely hostile toward me now.

AITA?

Check out what the comments had to say:

Some said just hang in there.

Maybe just take him off their hands?

In the end, you’ve already expressed what needs expressing.

One thing’s for sure, swearing at each other and calling you a terrible person isn’t gonna win any favors.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.