If you have not experienced “co-parenting” with a narcissist you cannot begin to understand the horror of it. Not only has your authority likely been chiseled away by them during the marriage so that by the time you divorce the children may have little respect for you, but there is more. They will likely continue to portray you as the “bad guy,” playing into the children’s reactions to your attempts to assert authority. It will be fine for them to leave the children unattended but if you let the children walk about or ride their bikes they will be yelling that you are not properly supervising. They will force the children into the activities they want them to participate in (likely those their new significant other is involved with) and portray any you suggest negatively. They will pick and choose what they want to pay for regardless of court orders that provide that they share equally in expenses. And mostly they will rush to the courthouse if you speak the truth like this.
Listen to more about narcissists from two of my favorite sources: Rebecca Zung on and Renee Swanson!
Notes From Real Life 