My ex wife of 3 years has constantly manipulated my two daughters and used them as power against me. Never letting the kids stay even 5 minutes later for any reason. The kids have had to miss birthday celebrations with my side of the family, xmas has been difficult every year since separating. She claims verbal abuse now that I’m with someone else. I guess in an attempt to smear me to our mutual friends and the kids. My daughter (13yo) is in volleyball and last year it was difficult because my parenting time ends at 7pm on the two weeknights that I get them. Many of her games don’t even end by then so I have to exchange the kids awkwardly in the the gym. This year my daughter said she wanted to try out for cheerleading. I said I don’t know because of the time restricting. I’ve tried a number of times to get the parenting time extended to 8pm and it’s always been shot down. “That would make bed time 9pm and that’s too late”. So I went to our mediator and had a three way email with her and my ex regarding extending the parenting time to accommodate the new activity. Ex fought tooth and nail and we finally ended it at 8pm on activity nights, 7:30 all other nights. I was fine with this compromise but then the ex started saying I don’t feed my kids sufficient dinner (not true) and that the kids don’t get their homework done when they return. (There has been two instances where 1 or 2 questions didn’t get completed because I didn’t understand the lesson. It’s been 20 years since I did some of this). So she demanded that the parenting plan be altered that under no circumstance are the kids to return without dinner and homework done. And, that I don’t interfere with the kids interest in extracurricular activities. My interference has only been due to time and financial issues which in my eyes are valid. My ex wife hates me and my fiancé and goes out of her way to limit the time the kids are at my house. When I didn’t agree to the additional language being added to the parenting plan she threatened me with court

I have dirt on her a mile long of her being a bitch, being difficult and vindictive. But I don’t have anything against her as a mother (substance abuse etc). How will a judge see this? I’m in Illinois and can only hope that some amount of reason will be considered