When Your Narcissistic Ex Weaponizes Your Children in Their Smear Campaign

Your child comes home from a visit with the other parent guarded. Repeating things they couldn't have come up with on their own. Now they’re looking at you differently. 

That's not just "divorce being hard." That's a smear campaign — and your narcissistic ex has recruited your own children to run it. 

This week, Dr. Josh Davis — neuroscientist, psychologist, and author of The Difference That Makes a Difference — joins Kerry McAvoy to break down exactly how narcissistic exes weaponize children in their smear campaigns, and what you can do to protect your relationship with your kids without playing the narcissist's game. 

In this episode:  

• Why narcissistic exes target children in their smear campaigns and what they're really trying to accomplish  
• The 3 signs your child is being used as a messenger or weapon against you  
• How to respond when your child repeats the narcissist's narrative 
• The one mistake most co-parents make that actually deepens the alienation 

Exclusive Podcast Extra Segment

Want to go deeper? 

Paid Substack subscribers get exclusive access to Dr. Davis's most powerful technique — a simple mental shift that lets you step outside the chaos of a difficult co-parenting moment, see it clearly, and stop reacting 

🔒 Become a paid subscriber and unlock your access today: https://substack.com/@breakingfreenarcabuse 

DR. JOSH DAVIS is a neuroscientist, psychologist, and author of The Difference That Makes a Difference. His work helps parents build stronger connections with their children using tools from Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and neuroscience.

Website

Book: The Difference That Makes the Difference: NLP and the Science of Positive Change

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Resources

• The Complete Recovery Collection: Narcissistic abuse resources
• First Steps to Leaving: Online self-paced digital course
• Toxic-Free Relationship Club: Live coaching & community support

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Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., an author and educator, helps listeners decode toxic dynamics, recognize manipulation, and rebuild self-trust.

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This podcast/video is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute therapy, counseling, or professional mental health advice, nor does listening create a doctor-patient or therapist-client relationship. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 911 or contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 (US/Canada).