Dear Queenie,
My father makes fun of my mother and criticizes her all the time. I never hear him say anything nice to her. I tried to talk to him about this but he just got mad at me.
Queenie, how can I convince my mother that she should leave him?—Worried daughter
Dear Daughter,
There are many reasons women stay with men who abuse them. Your mother may simply be in love with your father. She may think she has no other choice than to stay with him. She may be financially dependent on him, afraid of being alone, or, if you still live with your parents, just waiting until you move out so as not to leave you alone with him. You cannot convince your mother to leave your father until you understand why she has not already done so.
