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What can I, as a non-custodial father, do to protect my children from the pressure and burden caused by their mother,my 'ex',who signs them up for endless extra-curricular activities? They do not have enough time for schoolwork and for playing with their friends.

Even though  you are not the custodian, you are, as a biological parent,  an equal natural guardian of your minor children, and are jointly responsible for making decisions regarding their education and upbringing. Their mother cannot make decisions on these unilaterally.

If she continues to do so,  you can open a guardianship file in court, and ask for instructions about the number and scope of extra-curricular activities that the children should be take, and give evidence of the deterioration in their academic achievements,which you claim is a result of this overload. You can also raise the issue that as a result of too many organised activities, the children have too little free time for normal social interactions with their peers, which, in turn, is potentially harmful for their emotional development.