What to include
- Care: daycare, nannies, after-school programs.
- School: tuition, supplies, uniforms.
- Health: insurance, visits, medicine.
- Food, clothes and diapers.
- Activities: sports, classes, birthdays.
- Savings for their future, if you agree.
A worked example
Child costs are $2,000 a month. With take-home pay of $6,000 and $4,000, the rule gives 60% and 40%: $1,200 and $800. If one partner goes part time and brings home $2,000, the rule becomes 75% and 25%: $1,500 and $500.
The work nobody sees
Doctor visits, school logistics and night care do not show up in the numbers. If one partner does much more, lower their percentage or guarantee them a monthly personal amount. Talk it through and write it down.
Parental leave
Income usually drops during leave. Recalculate the split with the actual income for that period and set a date to review it. The guide on when one partner has no income covers this in detail.
Children from a previous relationship
Costs for a child from a previous relationship usually belong to that parent, while what you share at home (food, housing) can be part of the household. Agree on it case by case.
Keep it organized
In Couplesplit, create a category for the kids, add tuition as a fixed payment with its due date, and everything splits by your rule. Reports show what you spend on the kids each month, with no spreadsheet.
Questions
Should child costs be split 50/50?
Only if you earn about the same. Otherwise a split by income is usually fairer, like the rest of the household.
Is this about child support?
No. This guide is for couples who live together. Child support follows the law where you live.
What about saving for the kids?
Treat it as another shared cost with the same rule, or as a separate goal.