As we said previously, parental alienation is when one parent attempts to sabotage or undermine their child’s relationship with the child’s other parent. This can happen through a variety of tactics, including psychological manipulation and gaslighting. Here are three more sneaky ways narcissists alienate their parents from their children:
- Encouraging the child to break the other parent’s rules. “I know mommy doesn’t like it when you ____________, but it’s ok. It’s just between you and me.” The narcissist will use any opportunity to establish a dynamic where they are on the child’s “team” and the coparent is the supposed opposition.
- Spying and data mining. The narcissist will use the child as a tool to spy on their coparent. Through the right types of questions and attention to detail, the narcissist can get a whole lot of private information in a very subtle and sneaky way. This information can in turn be used to fuel more parental alienation and narcissistic abuse against the targeted coparent.
- Disrupting planned bonding experiences or quality experiences. It doesn’t take much for a narcissist to undermine their coparent’s planned shared parenting time, and especially special events, trips, or plans that they have. A fake illness, a cell phone “accidentally” set to silent, a lost document or passport- the possibilities are endless for abuse.
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Call our office today at (949) 363-5551. We specialize in helping clients who have divorce and family law matters complicated by gaslighting, narcissism, bipolar disorder, and other psychological challenges. John A. Bledsoe is Orange County’s premier divorce attorney and a certified family law specialist. Our firm offers a confidential initial case evaluation.