Episode Details
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Is My Co-Parent a Narcissist? Warning Signs, Boundaries & How to Protect Your Kids
Description
🎧 Listen to this episode if…
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You constantly walk away from conversations with your ex feeling drained, confused, or second-guessing yourself.
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Co-parenting feels more like a battleground than teamwork.
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You suspect your ex might be narcissistic or manipulative, but you're not sure what to do about it.
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You want to learn how to protect your children emotionally while staying calm and in control.
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You're tired of being baited into fights and want tools to respond, not react.
⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode discusses family violence, coercive control, and trauma recovery. 📌 Disclaimer: This episode is for general information and education only. Please seek your own legal, psychological, or medical support for your specific circumstances.
https://www.thedivorcecourse.com.au/disclosurechecklist
💻 The Divorce Course Free Resources
https://www.thedivorcecourse.com.au
What You'll Learn: Is My Co-Parent a Narcissist? Warning Signs, Boundaries & How to Protect Your Kids💔 Recognising the Signs: Mia explains how narcissistic or high-conflict co-parents reveal themselves — through blame-shifting, entitlement, image obsession, and control.
⚖️ The Court Reality Check: Lyn shares why using the word "narcissist" in court can backfire — and how to instead describe their behaviours (the "ingredients" rather than "the cake").
🧱 Setting Boundaries That Stick: How to stop being pulled into chaos, manage constant conflicts, and accept "who you're dealing with" so you can regain power.
🧒 Protecting the Kids: Red flags to watch for in how your ex uses or manipulates the children — and how to model calm, consistent parenting when they don't.
💬 Parenting Teenagers of Narcissistic Exes: Mia and Lyn dive into the tricky years — when kids start echoing their narcissistic parent's behaviour — and how to hold firm without turning into your ex.
💪 Your Healing & Hope: Why the most powerful move isn't "winning" against your ex — it's rebuilding your self-trust, removing their emotional "buttons," and staying in your own lane.
🔗 Guest Expert
Mia from Grey Rock Consulting — https://www.greyrockconsulting.com.au/ Lawyer, founder, and Australia's first certified Master High Conflict Negotiation Coach (trained by Rebecca Zung). Mia helps clients and lawyers navigate high-conflict personalities with strategy, clarity, and self-preservation.
⏱️ Episode Timeline –
00:00 — Intro: Are You Co-Parenting with a Narcissist? Signs to Watch For
00:34 — Meet Mia from Grey Rock Consulting: Expert in Narcissists & High-Conflict Exes
02:11 — What Narcissistic Co-Parenting Really Looks Like (and Why It's So Draining)
13:51 — How Narcissistic Co-Parenting Affects Kids Emotionally and Psychologically
18:25 — Setting Boundaries with a Narcissist: Staying Calm & In Control
21:49 — What to Include (and Avoid) in Parenting Orders or Plans
26:22 — Custody Chaos: When Your Narcissistic Ex Twists the Rules
26:45 — Unexpected Changes & Power Plays: How to Handle Parenting Plan Dispu