The boy had established a relationship with the new foster mother and did derive some warmth and love from her. She however had a nervous breakdown and was taken from the family for a short time. The drawing of the figure of the mother where she is encapsulated with the intensity of the light directed toward her, reflects the boy's need for warmth and love in this area. He feels rather as a social isolate, as indicated by the drawing, he is faced away from the rest of the family. He derives the warmth in this family from the mother and the central figure of the mother with her encapsulation reflects this need. It is important to point out that only the mother is encapsulated, and in the wish for the mother's love, he has her sweeping away the cobwebs from the brightly shining warm light of love. The intensity of the need for warmth and love reflected in the light and fire syndrome contrasts sharply with the ironing board or ‘x syndrome’ found in older children, which often bring about attempts of control at these emotions. This struggle for control was rather clearly depicted by Allan, a sixteen-year-old boy who was brought in with great fears of staying home at certain times. Allan's drawing is shown in figure 178.

In his drawing, Allan shades the area below the waist of the sister and mother, showing the usual preoccupation of adolescence in this area. In talking to Allan, utilizing cues from the KFD, it becomes clear that he was terrified if left alone with his rather seductive eleven-year-old sister- and abhorrent of any sexual impulse in this relationship. The controls are depicted by the girl holding her stop sign, and by the young brother pointing a gun at him. The great attempts at control are seen in the 'x' phenomena in the drawing. The table at which Allan sits is in the form of an x, as is the container holding his food. The ironing board below the mother with the x through the shaded area is a constant thing with children attempting to control sexual impulse. The significance of father racing away in a speedboat may be one of the underlying factors as to why the boy needs the number of external controls he depicts in the family drawing. Further, in view of the fact that this boy has only average intelligence within a family of superior intellectual and social achievements, one can also add that his frustrated anger is in the direction of acting out destructive or unacceptable, impulsive behavior in relation to the rest of the family.

Dave's ironing board drawing is shown in figure 179.

This twelve-year-old boy had lost his own mother from stomach cancer and was very much attracted to his stepmother, but had significant controls in this area. It is noted that the iron is also hot like the fire of the lights of the previous drawing. It is further significant that the ambivalence of the boy toward the stepmother is depicted by the fact that her legs are obvious. However, the control of the x-ing of the ironing board acts as a real barrier-as does father. Even though dad seems to be out of the picture with his back toward it, his name is in the largest letters.

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