Are you co-parenting with someone who seems to change the rules, twist reality, and keep you constantly on edge? Divorce is hard enough—but when you’re dealing with manipulation, control, and emotional chaos, it can feel impossible to find your footing. In this episode, Tracy Malone, author and renowned narcissistic abuse recovery coach, breaks down exactly how to protect your peace, support your kids, and reclaim your power in a system that often feels stacked against you.
Learn more about Tracy Malone at: https://tracyamalone.com/ and https://narcissistabusesupport.com
Get the BestInterest Coparenting App: https://bestinterest.app/
Other Resources Mentioned: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0345487427
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Watch This Episode: https://youtu.be/1Lm1hG5JQiY
Keywords
co-parenting with a narcissist, parallel parenting, high conflict divorce, narcissistic abuse recovery, co-parenting communication, parenting plan strategy, gaslighting and DARVO, emotional regulation for parents, supporting kids through divorce, family court strategies
Takeaways
- The Teflon Strategy: How to stop absorbing emotional attacks so they don’t derail your day—or your parenting.
- Parallel Parenting Reality Check: How to let go of control in the other household while staying grounded and consistent in your own.
- The Documentation Filter: What actually matters to track (and what will just drain your energy).
- The BIFF Response Method: How to reply to triggering messages without giving your ex ammunition.
- The Parenting Plan Power Move: How to build in protections now that save you years of stress (and thousands in legal fees) later.
- The Emotional Resilience Toolkit for Kids: How to help your children regulate, process, and stay grounded between two very different homes.
Chapters
01:22 – The Wake-Up Call: When “Normal” Isn’t Actually Normal
04:31 – Parallel Parenting: Acceptance or Giving Up Control?
07:13 – The Escalation Phase: What to Expect Before (and During) Divorce
09:06 – Documentation Without Losing Your Sanity
10:46 – The Biggest Early Mistake Most Parents Make
11:27 – Post-Divorce Power Struggles: Money & Control
12:43 – Communication Traps: How They Bait You Into Losing Control
15:05 – The BIFF Method: Responding Without Fueling the Fire
16:00 – Regulating Yourself Before You Respond
17:26 – DARVO, Gaslighting & The Mind Games Explained
19:07 – Supporting Kids in Two Opposite Worlds
20:16 – Why Co-Parenting Can Feel Like an 18-Year Sentence
23:39 – The Parenting Plan That Saves You Years of Court
26:55 – Setting Boundaries Around Communication
27:57 – When Your Ex Lies to Your Kids: What Actually Helps
29:34 – Helping Kids Build Emotional Resilience
33:20 – Signs Your Child Needs Extra Support
36:51 – Peace Starts Here: Letting Go of the Fight
37:13 – A Narcissist’s Favorite Tool
37:28 – What the Legal System Gets Wrong
39:45 – One Thing You Can Do Today to Feel More Empowered
43:22 – Where to Find Tracy Malone
What if your co-parent’s toxic messages never even reached you? Thousands of parents are already finding peace with the BestInterest Coparenting App. As a listener, you can too. Claim 40% off an annual subscription here: https://bestinterest.app/beyond
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