Lisa Cooper wrote:

Reverend Father, You have an excellent site. I read your homily on submissiveness. One thing I have been very concerned about: if a father is verbally and emotionally abusive towards his children, what can a wife do besides point this out to him and pray? All the best, Lisa
www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Palace/8019/catholic.html

Thank you for your kind words. I am somewhat reluctant to respond both because of lack of expertise and possiblity of misunderstanding. Still it is an unavoidable question.  It seems to me the answer would depend on the degree of "abuse".  A mom has to do her best to protect her children from what would damage them, but at the same time we cannot protect our children from everything.  I just finished a biography of Eisenhower.  By today's standards we would consider him to have been abused (emotionally and physicially) by his father.  I'm not mentioning that to justify abuse, just that kids can come thru it.  However, there are limits.  A counselor or maybe even a parish priest could help in identifying it and what might be done.

And of course as you say, communication and prayer.

God bless,

Fr. Phil Bloom