ABSTRACT
The ritual of leaving home and going to boarding school is a central theme, with attachment theory underlining discussion of the rupture it causes for the child when they have to leave the safety and familiarity of parents and home life. Many ex-boarders report that they have no memory of leaving home, while some are positive about the prospect of going to boarding school until they come to it actually happening. Christopher Milne’s experience of his parents seeming like strangers when he first sees them after being at boarding school for some time is discussed as an illustration of the rupture in the bond between parent and child. The author’s experience of being put on a train is outlined and the chapter concludes with a flashback she had as an adult that led her to understand that it was a very traumatic experience which left her in a stunned state.
