Freud_Burlingham_1943_War_and_Children_k_text

Christmas.In many cases these hopes were disappointedthrough the illness of the children,in others the re-union was not as happy as theparents had expected.Baby James's parents, for instance, had begunplanning three months ago to take him hometo their room for Christmas day. The father'sarmy leave and the mother's free day from factorywork coincided, which was a rare occasion.They had prepared for him a temporary criband in all ways had set the stage for one wholeday of family life. When they came to fetchhim, they had to be told that he had run a hightemperature the day before and though thefever was down now, it would be highly dangerousto take him out of his surroundings, tointerrupt his routine and to subject him toa day's festivities. The father got very angryabout it, insisted that no baby could be harmedby being taken home in a pram and thatafter all a cold was just a cold. The motherjust stood by the crib and cried with disappointment.But when the father,a very young boy soldier,finally stormed out of the house to geta drink, she settled down quite happily andsaid: "Men never understand such things,"and spent the whole day in the nursery sittingwith her baby.The toddlers on the other hand went on ex-151