Originally Posted by lurkette

If it's not a financial hardship for you, I would loan/give her the $50. As a child, I was painfully aware of my parents' shaky financial situation, and let me tell you how much stress it caused for me. I felt horribly unsafe, guilty, resentful, ashamed, etc. If it will help provide some stability for your kids, do it. Don't teach your wife a lesson at the expense of your kids.

However, if she is unable to provide a stable living environment for them, maybe it would be a good idea to revisit custody arrangements, or at the very least have a serious discussion with your ex-wife about her finances. You might suggest sitting down with her in arbitration to address what she can do with her finances or her job situation to help her support herself and the kids, and make a legally binding agreement that she has to meet in order to keep the kids. I wish you luck.