My ex pays me child support, but feels I should buy all the clothes for the 2 kids and give him half of them for his house. He says "that's why I pay you child support". I can't find anything online that explains this or clarifies this.
You cannot find an answer on-line because there is no clear answer. The child support that you are receiving is supposed to benefit the children, but there is no rule regarding the way that you spend it. Of course, your children have to have clothes. But you do not have to supply him with clothes for them. You receive support because of the time they spend with you and the disparity in incomes. That said, be practical about this - no judge is going to want to hear him or you complaining about this. Work it out with him.
You can buy yourself jewelry with the support money if you want to as there is no requirement that support money be spent on the children. In theory, child support in a 50/50 custody arrangement is supposed to equalize available income needed to provide adequate food and shelter so that the children's standard of living in both households is relatively similar. Otherwise, there are no requirements making one parent more responsible than the other to provide things such as clothes, toys, etc. In the event the children are involved in extracurricular activities that cost a predictable amount of money regularly (e.g. piano lessons, soccer camp, etc.), you can seek additional support money to help with those expenses.
