One Mom's Battle Blog
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Hi I'm Tina Swithin. I'm working to raise awareness of the issues in the Family Court System and to educate the general public on Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Read the blog for One Mom's Battle to discover that you are not alone in divorcing a narcissist. Find stories from other parents and resources to help.
One Mom's Battle Blog
2d ago
The battlefield of divorce is hard enough - but when you’re divorcing a narcissist? You need all the armor you can get your hands on.
One lesson I quickly learned is that the only thing harder than being married to a narcissist, is divorcing one. Which isn’t to say that you should stay married. No. Just NO! I can attest to the life-saving nature of a divorce when you’re married to a high-conflict individual.
Divorcing a Narcissist Requires Intense Preparation
I can also attest to the truth that preparation is key.
As you prepare for your divorce, I recommend learning everything you can about n ..read more
One Mom's Battle Blog
1w ago
Whether you are dealing with the narcissist’s flying monkeys (those sent in to do the narcissist’s dirty work) or people who are judgmental or critical, I'd like to share some words of wisdom. I have a lot of experience on this topic when it comes to flying monkeys, haters, online trolls and people who seem to believe that their opinion should matter to me (spoiler alert: it doesn’t).
I'd like to introduce you to my two-tier “GAF” (give a f) system. The “F” can be whatever works for you. Maybe it’s “give a flip,” or “give a fudge.” I am not easily offended and I am known to drop f-bomb's like ..read more
One Mom's Battle Blog
2w ago
When you’re divorcing a narcissist and fighting for your children in court, it’s essential to develop a mindset of radical acceptance. Radical acceptance helped me to survive my decade-long family court battle.
What is “Radical Acceptance”?
Radical acceptance is simply a mindset - you’re choosing to accept that some situations are outside of your control. Rather than focusing on what’s outside of your control, you focus your efforts on what’s in your control.
Divorcing a Narcissist Requires Radical Acceptance
From the moment my marriage ended until I was awarded sole custody (six years l ..read more
One Mom's Battle Blog
3w ago
Here’s what protective parents need to know about “parental alienation” accusations in a child custody battle with a narcissist.
For starters, I’d never heard the term “parental alienation” prior to my custody battle beginning in 2009. In fact, when I first heard this accusation from my ex-husband in a court declaration, I found myself googling the term and going down dark, seedy rabbit holes.
"Surely he is confused, I'm ‘alienating’ him?”
Perplexed would be an understatement, I thought there was a mistake. I reflected back on our marriage and the biggest source of contention was the fact ..read more
One Mom's Battle Blog
1M ago
When attempting co parenting with a narcissist, strategic communication is a lifesaver (literally).
I was at the end of my rope.
I’d tried everything and then some.
Negotiation. Compromise. Stating the facts. Providing him with lists and bullet points. And then, all of these things on repeat to the point of exhaustion. It was a cycle that was threatening to destroy me.
Nothing worked. Communicating with my ex-husband only made everything worse.
Court professionals saw me as “part of the problem” and my stress and anxiety was off the charts.
If you’re here, I’m sure you can relate.
Learnin ..read more
One Mom's Battle Blog
1M ago
I am considered a family court success story but I don't know that my children would be safe today had I not changed course when it came to how I documented things, and how I organized the chaos that had become our lives. Without radically changing my documentation system during my child custody battle, I don’t know if things would’ve unfolded the way they did.
Protective Parents & Documentation in a Child Custody Battle
If you’re like many protective parents out there, you’re doing your very best to consistently document important things for your child custody battle.
But here’s where it ..read more
One Mom's Battle Blog
1M ago
I can’t help but cringe when I hear people counsel victims of narcissistic abuse to use the Gray Rock method with the narcissist. Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful method of communicating with toxic individuals if you do not have children together.
In many cases, the Gray Rock method can make things worse for you in court.
So What Is “Gray Rock”?
We use Gray Rock to become as interesting as a… gray rock.
Dull. Boring. “Nothing to see here!”
The idea is that in diminishing your emotional responsiveness to the narcissist, they will lose interest in you and find another ..read more
One Mom's Battle Blog
2M ago
Good evening Delegate Crutchfield,
My name is Hera McLeod. I'm a domestic violence survivor and child safety advocate who has been advocating for the safety of Maryland's children since 2012 when my son Prince was brutally murdered by his father (during his fourth, court ordered unsupervised visit). My son was sentenced to death in the Montgomery County, MD family court after former Maryland Judge Michael Algeo ignored dangerous patterns of domestic violence against women and children, assault, fraud, and several suspicious murders. You can learn more about my story, platform, and v ..read more
One Mom's Battle Blog
4M ago
On Wednesday, January 17, 2024, I prepared testimony in opposition of Washington's HB 2237 and I am told there were over 20 people waiting to testify against this legislation when the meeting ended (time constraints). It is very important to note, the Washington Superior Court Judges’ Association (SCJA) were key authors, contributing to this bill. Definite red flags for me.
I was able to provide written testimony, and I encourage you to do the same by clicking here. Here is my submitted testimony:
“My name is Tina Swithin. I am providing testimony in strong opposition, on b ..read more
One Mom's Battle Blog
4M ago
At One Mom’s Battle (OMB), we try to keep our finger on the pulse of legislation around the country. With fifty OMB chapters here in the United States, we often have a front row seat to the horrors taking place in family court houses across the country. For the past few years, Washington has been on our radar as a state that is failing survivors and children.
Instead of moving forward in a positive direction, there are several pieces of legislation in the pipeline that will make things even worse for survivors of domestic abuse. We cannot afford to go backwards further. We must come together a ..read more