Extra-curricular activities and a scheduled parenting time conflict

You may file a motion to have the visitation schedule modified by a judge if you can't agree on what should occur and it is impacting negatively on the child. By having the order there is some enforcement means if it is not followed by the father.

I recall one judge instructing parties to such a dispute during oral argument on a motion that during their children's teen years much of parenting time is chauferring them to and from their activities. Experienced parents can tell you about amazing impromptu converations with their kids while driving to and from their activities or school. Surprisingly this can be pretty special time. If the judge agrees it is in your child's best interest, he will order that Dad take the child to the activities during Dad;s parenting time. The fact is that as children grow older their lives do interfere with plans a parent might otherwise have to spend time together. So long as the activities are not created to interfere with parenting time (and that does occur) Dad needs to get with the program. Dad is reacting to wanting his own control over time with his son on his own terms. This happens when Dad can't see it from the child's viewpoint, doesn't share the same activities & interests and feels like an outsider at those activities, or is a lower activity parent and wants down time with his son or a host of other reasons. It also is a reaction to what seems like you having parental control over the majority of time with your son and then what little time he feels he does have, he sees as slipping away. Would it make a difference I wonder if your son was able with the help of a family member or friend of his father's perhaps to talk to his Dad and let him know how imporant these activities are to him and that he wants his father to be there to share it with him? Dad may feel out of place at the son's activities. Another approach may be to get "communication" advice from a therapist for your son to help him with his frustration and anger and teach him skills to establish better communication with his father. If his Dad is a poor communicator these skills will benefit your son the rest of his life, both with his father, and also with lots of people he will encounter in the work place and elsewhere.

You should file a motion to either modify the parenting time or to direct that he bring your son to activities during his parenting time.