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AIBU?

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AIBU to ask my ex to help with school uniform costs?

28 replies

Stolendance · 31/08/2026 00:06

I’ve asked my ex if he would like to contribute anything towards child’s school uniform with which his reply was - what do you do with the money I give you each month. Now it’s not a lot he gives me and I was only asking if he wanted to help towards it as this year, child’s school is changing the colour of uniform and also changing the type of of uniform so it’s been everything I needed to get. I’m not asking for half of the money but like maybe £20 towards it all. Surely a dad would want to check in and make sure their child has everything they need for school and maybe offer a bit of support towards it? It’s all been left for me to buy. I buy all child’s clothes and shoes. When child goes to dads they goes in the clothes I have bought he has no clothes at his I often give him some of the clothes we have here to keep at his. Like am I really being unreasonable to ask for a bit of money. He earns a decent wage

OP posts:
RosesPetals · 31/08/2026 00:53

You can ask but he can say no

MojoMoon · 31/08/2026 00:11

Are you getting the full amount from him you are entitled to via CMS?

Should he? Yes. But also you can't make him sadly and he sounds like a shitty man.

So make sure you see getting max child support from him and have as little contact as possible beyond parenting. You can't change him and make him a good, responsible father

FluffMagnet · 31/08/2026 00:11

I would be tempted to tot up the annual expense of your child, include the added cost of rent/mortgage for his bedroom, food, extra heating and electricity, clubs, childcare, presents, clothes, uniform, shoes, school trips etc. I bet good money that his monthly contribution does not come close to covering this, plus it sounds as though you are default parent so no doubt your career options are more limited than his. Present this back and ask why he isn't paying half of what it costs to raise your son?

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