If you are a parent in South Carolina who divorced a narcissist, you might have to share responsibilities with your ex. Co-parenting with a narcissist is challenging but can be done by following certain tips.
Accept the situation
When the court orders you to co-parent with your former spouse who is a narcissist, there’s nothing you can do about it but accept it. A narcissist is not going to change.
Set boundaries with your former spouse
Narcissists like to take control of all situations. You should be clear from the beginning that there are boundaries of what’s acceptable and what’s not tolerated. Make sure you’re specific about how your co-parenting plan will work.
Create a co-parenting plan
You might not be able to create a co-parenting plan with your narcissistic ex. However, it’s best to try. You will have to decide on everything from dropping off your children and picking them up, handling holidays, extracurricular activities and disciplining the kids. Your plan should be in writing and you should discuss how often you’ll talk when one of you has the children.
Limit communication
While you should have some communication with your ex as you work on your co-parenting plan and have your time with the kids, don’t overdo it. You could only benefit from limiting your communication with them. You might want to only rely on email so that you don’t have to worry about talking on the phone or even texting, which are both more demanding means of communication.
Be calm
It might be difficult, but you should stay calm while co-parenting with a narcissist. Your ex probably wants to get a rise out of you, so it’s best not to indulge them.