# 9: The Hidden Costs of Co-Parenting Nobody Talks About

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-ugly-truth-of-divorce-7690600/9-the-hidden-costs-of-co-parenting-nobody-talks-about
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-ugly-truth-of-divorce-7690600/9-the-hidden-costs-of-co-parenting-nobody-talks-about.md
Podcast: [The Ugly Truth of Divorce](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-ugly-truth-of-divorce-7690600)
Published: 2026-03-05T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://audioboom.com/posts/8867706
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/audioboom.com/posts/8867706.mp3?modified=1772609775&sid=5166049&source=rss
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-ugly-truth-of-divorce-7690600/episodes/9-the-hidden-costs-of-co-parenting-nobody-talks-about
Duration seconds: 1196

## Resource

Child support doesn't cover shit. Let's talk about it. If you're paying it, this might sting. If you're receiving it and drowning in extras, you're about to feel validated. Here's the truth: Child support is a reimbursement for day-to-day expenses - mortgage, utilities, food, clothes. That's IT. It doesn't cover the expenses that cause the biggest fights: Extracurriculars - Sports fees, equipment, travel, lessons, camps. I spent $23K on volleyball, $12K on cheer, $8K on softball. ALL out of pocket because fighting about it every month wasn't worth my sanity. Medical Costs - Copays, deductibles, prescriptions, and the big one: BRACES. One parent says necessary, the other says cosmetic. Meanwhile your kid won't smile in photos. Educational Expenses - School supplies, tech fees, field trips, college applications at $75-250 each. Public school isn't even free everywhere. Here's what pisses me off: When people say "just give me the child more and I'll pay for it." That's not about what the kid needs. That's about WINNING. Real talk? People who complain about costs have never been in the trenches with all the little $4 here, $20 there expenses. They've never bought team snacks 47 times or replaced socks monthly. One parent has been handling ALL of that while the other's been oblivious. Now that oblivious person is telling YOU you're spending too much. What you actually need: Get specific financial details in your parenting plan NOW. Who pays what, when, how much. Make it clear enough to prove contempt if they don't pay - simple math, either the money's there or it's not. If it's not in writing, you'll either fight forever or pay for everything yourself. Sometimes paying for it yourself IS the answer in high-conflict situations. But stop bitching they won't pay. They've shown…

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## Transcript

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