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Freud_Burlingham_1943_War_and_Children_k_text

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AllayingFearEven children whose mothers claimed thatthey had been badly frightened by raidsshowed, surprisingly enough, little interest insirens, bombs, guns or "all clears."A girl of four years suggested to the kindergartenteacher who was trying to quiet anoisychild in his shelter bed that, if he would notpromise to be good, she should "take him upstairsto a danger-room".A little girl of three <strong>and</strong> a half years, beingasked whether she was pleased to see a visitinguncle, says crossly: "No, I want him bombed."Our big girls, six <strong>and</strong> nine years old, whenwe take them for a walk <strong>and</strong> pass by damagedhouses make expert casual remarks: "Incendiarybomb". This is where the roof is burnedout. "High explosive". This is where the wallsare badly shaken.The same two girls tellabout the time whenthey still lived with their parents in a badlybombed area: "Every evening when the firstbombs came down, Daddy would grab his coat<strong>and</strong> run out to help <strong>and</strong> mummy would alwayscall after him: 'Don't forget that we have twospare beds <strong>and</strong> bring in people if you findthem homeless'."<strong>Children</strong> whose parents behave inthat way,naturally show no sign of fear themselves.The father says of the six year old girl:94

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