Reply #4: Not that it is necessarily the case here,

[redqueen]

but sometimes the mothers in these situations are also subjected to abuse, cowed, and kept in line through fear and manipulation. When that is the case, I do have sympathy. I was abused as a child, and my mom was beaten too, so I know first hand what I'm talking about, and there is copious academic evidence for this as well. You of course aren't required to spare a second thought about any of this, just pointing out that not everyone is so fortunate to have the psychological resources to deal with these situations in the ideal manner.