She Bought Her Son New School Supplies. Now Her Ex Wants Them Shared with His Other Kids

A woman turned to Reddit for advice after a heated conflict with her ex and his wife over school supplies and family boundaries.

She explained in her post that she and her ex share custody of their 15-year-old son equally. Since their split, they’ve always kept separate supplies at each home instead of sending items back and forth.

This year, she bought her son all new school supplies. But her ex and his wife, who are struggling financially, grew upset because the other children in their home had to reuse old supplies. They asked her to donate some of her son’s things so all the kids could feel equal.

“At first I was asked to donate supplies to them in order to show we’re all one family, which we’re not,” she wrote, making it clear she doesn’t feel responsible for her ex’s stepchildren.

She added that her ex had always been strict about keeping things separate in the past and never would have shared if the situation were reversed.

When she refused, her son decided not to bring his supplies to his dad’s house at all. Instead, he does his homework at school and leaves his belongings in his locker.

Her ex wasn’t satisfied. “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,” she explained.

The conflict escalated when her ex’s wife confronted her directly, calling her selfish for letting her son have new items while the other children did not. The woman told her that this was an issue she and her husband needed to handle, not her.

Her ex later accused her of teaching their son not to support his family. She pushed back, asking if he would feel the same way if she had children with someone else. He replied that it was “different because men always have to pay child support,” a comment she strongly challenged.

The argument ended there, but she said her ex and his wife are now hostile toward her. The tension has also affected her son’s relationship with his father.

In the Reddit comments, one user supported her, saying, “NTA. I am willing to bet he started the culture of separate things for separate households. Only three more years with this and you’ll be free.”

The woman agreed, pointing out that her ex’s past behavior created the current situation. She said it has also harmed his relationship with their son.

For now, she stands firm: her financial responsibility is only to her own child, and she will not be pressured into covering expenses for her ex’s stepchildren.