The primary trauma was the actual parting from the parents, bearing in mind the child's age. How this parting was explained was very important: for example, "you are going on an exciting adventure", or "you are going on a short trip and we will see you soon." Younger children, perhaps six and younger, would generally not accept such an explanation and would demand to stay with their parents. There are many records of tears and screaming at the various railway stations where the actual parting took place. Even for older children, "more willing to accept the parents' explanation", at some point that child realised that he or she would be separated from his or her parents for a long and indefinite time. The younger children had no developed sense of time, and for them the trauma of separation was total from the very beginning.