# Peter Pan Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 27, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peter-pan-question/257150 "2004-07-27T21:04:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peter-pan-question/257150/1 "2004-07-27T21:04:33Z")
How long were Wendy and her brothers in Neverland? ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peter-pan-question/257150/2 "2004-07-27T22:08:16Z")
I’m not really sure…I’m skimming my book and it was at least long enough that Michael began to think Wendy actually was his mother. Ok, I just reread the second to last chapter and I’m going to guess it was several months at least. It took ten days just for them to sail home. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peter-pan-question/257150/3 "2004-07-27T22:41:05Z")
In the play, long enough for the children to have forgotten whether or not Mr. Darling normally slept in Nana’s kennel. It’s been a while since I read the book, but I had the impression it was about a year for MR. & Mrs. Darling. It’s uncertain how long it would have seemed to the children. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peter-pan-question/257150/4 "2004-07-27T22:42:34Z")
On the same subject, do we know anything about Peter’s parents? He’s alive, & human. He _must_ have had some. ---
**Author:** ![bindera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@bindera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bindera)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peter-pan-question/257150/5 "2004-07-27T23:00:36Z")
According to my book, Peter ran away from home because he heard his parents talking about his future, and didn’t want to grow up. I don’t see any references to specifics as to how long they were gone, but I’ll keep looking. ~literatelady ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peter-pan-question/257150/6 "2004-07-27T23:04:16Z")
At some point during the description of the “home life” of the Lost Boys, where Wendy is playing Mother, it’s mentioned that they all have long lost track of the days. During the story Wendy tells about their (real) mother at home, waiting for them, she speculates that Mrs. Darling is already in half-mourning for them, which would mean that the nine months of full-mourning were over. Of course, Wendy could be seriously overestimating how much time has gone by, but I still think we’re supposed to think it’s been a considerable time. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peter-pan-question/257150/7 "2004-07-27T23:21:49Z")
> [@The Devil's Grandmother](#): > > In the play, long enough for the children to have forgotten whether or not Mr. Darling normally slept in Nana’s kennel. Was it “time” that made them forget their mother? I suspected it was the magic of Neverland that made them forget.