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Children AndTheir Narcissistic Parents…
Many parents wonder how to best protect their child from the negative impact of their narcissistic mother or father, A.K.A the other parent. It is easy to find yourself falling in love and having children with someone who you later discover is a narcissist. Maybe you are married, maybe divorced, or maybe just hanging on and trying to make it work. These are all very difficult situations and co-parenting with a narcissist is no easy task. I have been working with children for over twelve years and based on my experiences as a psychologist you cannot shield your child from the ugly impact of narcissism, but you can minimise its effect. The good news is that you can be the example of a healthy parent and model healthy behaviours for your child. This will go a long way.
If you have a child with a narcissist you need to make a conscious effort to teach and model empathy. Point out examples of empathy when you are watching television with your child, out in the community, or over dinner time discussions. Talk about feelings and how other people may feel. Show empathy in your speech when communicating. You can say things like, “Wow you look sad right now, I am very sorry that you feel that way, how can I help you?” While watching movies together during emotional scenes, ask your child what they think is going on and how they think the characters may feel.
