Child support wrongly spent

I seen a dear Ann letter written from the point of a veiw of a stepmom who had to deal with her husband paying child support for two daughters that each had a different mother.

She was complaining that the children's Mother spend the child support wrong and it rarely gets spend on the children. One, I don't get is how does she know what gets spent on the children. There could be plenty of things that she doesn't see. Two, I know there are two sides to each story but the fact that she thinks both Mom's are spending wrongly I wonder if there is more to the story.

She did go on to say that the children often are needing clothes, hair cuts and school related things. I don't recall everything. She made it sound like her husband buys the things the kids need so it felt like they were paying double for children.

I don't know the situation with this family about how much he was ordered to pay and what he earns and what the new wife ears. OF course, her income doesn't come into play for child support.

Just because children are still needing things doesn't mean child support isn't being spent correctly. I am assuming if the Mother's are getting child support that the children live with them and they are putting a roof over their heads and feeding them all the days that they are home.

I believe I have figured out that my children's father pays 3.00 a day to each of my children for support. I can't feed even one of my children for 3 a day and while I know that it's what the judge seems fit that sometimes money might be tight. It could mean that the child has to wait a week or two for that haircut or has to get his clothes for the spring and summer one outfit at a time.

Do I believe that fathers that are paying child support should try to provide a little more. Wouldn't it be nice if Dad said "let me pay for one week of camp" Or "I got this haircut" Or "yes, we can give him a ride home" Or " I want the children an extra day or two"

Do I believe that any of that is worth sueing him for above and beyond the normal support. No. It's just not worth the fighting.

My husband casusally mentioned that when he got his last check that he didn't get any money at all after paying "my child support" This could mean that he will now be offially behind because who knows if he paid the full amount in. I know in the situation like this he wouldn't have done that on his own. Honestly, I don't know if I would have sent every penny that I have if the situation was the other way around.

Sorry, I jumped around quite a bit. I did the like the advice of the columist to record what he spends and talk to his lawyer and go from there.