Freud_Burlingham_1943_War_and_Children_k_text

London is all bombed and gone, and all thehouses have fallen down".He was unable to realise the fact that thecomparatively unbombed street in which henow lived with us was still the same city."Home" is the place to which all children aredetermined to return, irrespective of the factthat in most cases they are aware of itsdestruction."War", above everything else, signifiesthe period of time for which children have tobe separated from their parents.A striking example of such "misunderstanding"was Pamela, a girl of four and half years,who as we thought, had perfectly grasped themeaning of evacuation. She was a thricebombed child, lived in Wedderburn Road, andlike all others waited for the opening of ourcountry house. We had carefully explained toall the children that they were being transferredto the country and the reason for it.But when at last, after weeks of expectation—because the lease of the country house didnot materialise—she stood in our front hall,dressed and ready, waiting for the Americanambulance car to take her out, she exclaimedjoyfully; "The war is over and we are goingto the country. It has lasted a long time!"The longing for the Country House, whichhad been the centre of interest for the Nurserychildren for some weeks, had suddenly got19all