Freud_Burlingham_1943_War_and_Children_k_text

the mother's attention. There is no doubt aboutits jealousy. The rough treatment given by themother is rightly interpreted by the childrenas an expression of her possessive love.A similar situation can be observed in anotherbaby who entered the nursery at the ageof six and a half months.He had been in unsatisfactorybillets for four months, was takenhome by the mother and came to us after threeweeks of home life. The mother is a huge woman,extremely pleasant, a most motherly typewith an immense lap. The baby felt illafter itsarrival and the mother could not visit for theentire first week because her husband at homehad fallen ill as well. When she came at lastand found him with a bad cold she was worried,she picked him up, cuddled him, croonedover him, rocked him, rather jerked him backand forth, held him very close and finallysoothed him to sleep. She put all the emotionswhich she had withheld from him during thisweek of separation into this short space oftime. There is no doubt about it that some ofher feelings imparted themselves to him. Whenshe came a fortnight later he seemed very shywith her, felt strange and did not recognise heruntil she held him again tight in her arms andcrooned and rocked him as she had done before.He then cuddled down and was a realpicture of contentment169