A judge is siding with Tyrese, ruling there are limits when it comes to his ex-wife demanding he cover childcare costs ... especially if her activities aren't work-related.
According to docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge ruled Norma Gibson can't expect Tyrese to reimburse her for babysitters to watch their 11-year-old daughter, Shayla ... if Norma's running "non-work errands" or running her household.
As we first reported, Tyrese was pissed about childcare bills Norma was running up -- especially one particular day in August -- when she admitted she was merely "living life." He was also upset that, in his view, she wasn't making an effort to get a steady job.
In the docs, the judge lays out what qualifies as work activities for Norma -- including developing her life coaching biz, working on her book or pursuing her art. The court says if she requires childcare while doing any of those things ... she can put that on Tyrese's tab.
Tyrese had demanded a detailed, even itemized, accounting of how Norma spends her time. The judge basically said that's not a bad idea -- recommending, but not ordering, Norma to "maintain a diary of time spent on work."