Narcissists can love their children, but their love may be conditional and come with a great deal of emotional baggage. Because narcissists are primarily focused on their own needs and desires, they may view their children as extensions of themselves and place a great deal of pressure on them to meet their expectations.

Narcissistic parents may use their children as sources of validation or admiration, expecting them to reflect back their own sense of grandiosity and self-importance. They may also be highly critical and demanding, setting impossibly high standards and punishing their children severely when they fail to meet them.

Additionally, narcissistic parents may struggle to empathize with their children’s feelings and needs, and may view them as objects to be controlled rather than individuals with their own unique personalities and perspectives.

While some narcissistic parents may genuinely love their children, their love is often intertwined with their own sense of identity and self-worth. Children of narcissistic parents may experience a great deal of emotional trauma and struggle to develop a healthy sense of self-worth and autonomy.