A child with a narcissist parent will chronically feel ignored, unacknowledged and undervalued, and their relationship with the parent will be defined by the child’s value to the parent and ability to bolster the narcissist’s self image. The child will be taught to prize superficiality and appearance while being deprived of emotional love, enrichment and development, and is unlikely to learn the lessons needed for genuine and fulfilling emotional relationships with others. This stunted emotional development and negative parental relationship can cause all kinds of mental and behavioral health problems, both in childhood and adulthood.
Key Takeaways:
- Narcissistic parents tend to treat children like belongings or accessories more than real children, and measure their worth by their value to the parent.
- Children raised by narcissistic parents may learn from them to prize appearance and image over less superficial and more profound traits, which can damage relationships and emotional development.
- Without an emotional roll model and the kind of love a child needs, the children of narcissists may become emotionally stunted adults.
“While these traits are annoying and not fun to be around, narcissism is a deeper, more destructive disorder that has devastating effects on the people in relationships with the individual.”