Kids' weekend activities

My son wants to participate in an extracurricular activity that involves occasional (but ironclad) commitments on weekends. He is 14. His Dad refuses to support ANY extracurricular activity that would interfere with his parenting time - even though he lives locally and could easily let him participate. That knocks out all team sports, etc.

This is not a matter of the Dad wanting more time with the kids… he frequently cancels visits and does not take most of his vacation weeks. I have been VERY flexible in offering trades, makeup time, extra time on an ad hoc basis, etc. My belief is that he is doing this in part because he is supposed to pay for extracurriculars, and letting kids participate on his parenting time would show his support. Otherwise he can play the “she signed them up and I didn’t know about it” card.

Is there anything I can do about this, short of going to court for a modification, which I cannot afford? I believe he is acting against my son’s best interests here.

If he is refusing to allow your child to participate, and the terms of the order allow his actions, there is nothing you can do without filing a modification. You can always sign the child up anyway and put the burden on your ex to file a motion for contempt for you not abiding by the terms of the order.