J.V. asks from Wheaton, IL on February 03, 2011
Imaginary Friends, How Long?
My daughter has a very active imagination. In any case, her "friends" have been around for a year now. She will be 3 in March. I had read that they were more like a momentary thing, like 6 months or so.
How long were your kids "friends" around? I'm starting to take it personally, as if I just don't provide her with enough social activities, but I know that this just isn't the case, she just wants "friends" to make bday cakes for, etc.
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T.S. answers from Sacramento on February 03, 2011
My son had a whole imaginary home... his farm... on which lived all his imaginary friends, mostly animals. He also had a car there that was forever waiting to get out of the shop, and a large vegetable garden that he kept forgetting to bring veggies home from. His alter-ego was a "baby camel" and for about a year and a half (2 1/2 to 4) the baby camel was a part of every conversation.
Then one day, I hadn't heard anything about him in a week or so, and suddenly DS said "You know, my baby camel is only imaginary."
3 moms found this helpful
J.C. answers from Philadelphia on February 03, 2011
My daughter had an imaginary family (husband - Jim and 2 kids James and Jimmy. For all her imagination she was not very creative with the names LOL). I think she had them for about 2 years ages 3 - 4 It actually is a sign of a bright child and my daughter is now in the gifted classes in middle school.
3 moms found this helpful
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R.J. answers from Seattle on February 03, 2011
My son's "40 grandpa" hung around for several years (started at age 2... strong presence until about age 4, checked in from time to time from 5-6). His concept of his 40 Grandpa is that I'm 1. My mum is 2. Her mum is 3. Her mum's mum's is 4. etc... all the way out to a 40Grandmother.
At around age 4 his 40 grandpa introduced him to Sing Tsank, who was my son's best friend a long time ago in china, but who was now a small child (about age 2) that needed my son to take care of him / play with him/ love on him until he died. ((Concept being that Sing Sank was actually a very old man still living in China, but that his mind was "walk about" / aka alzeheimers type... so kiddo was supposed to care for the man's spirit until the man finally let his spirit go)). Sing Tsank was never a constant presence but would show up for a few weeks, be gone for a few weeks, show up for a few weeks, etc. When my son was 6 going on 7 he cried for 3 days because Sing Tsank finally "died".
My son is now 8, and while he remembers both Sing Tsank & his 40 grandpa... it's nebulous. Even though this kid has a memory like an elephant and can recall quite easily events from about 18mo onward. They're "gone".
I'll treasure kiddo's 40 Grandpa and Sing Tsank for the rest of my life.
((ROFL... I just popped up with a memory of Sing Tsank, actually. I was "pushing him on the swing" at one point for kiddo, and as expected the empty swing was kind of wildly swinging. "Mom!" kiddo interjected "Spirits don't weigh anything, he's not going to slow the swing down... push SLOWER."))
My son has ALWAYS been a raging extrovert, and very, very social. There is NO way I could provide him with all the social interaction he craves. It takes him about a week of being with 10+ kids 24/7 for him to seek out small periods of time alone (from actual experience). He is just NOT a "play by yourself" kind of guy.
I remember being kind of worried about his 40 grandpa in the beginning. But, come to find, he gave pretty good advice to kiddo... "Mom, my 40 grandpa says I should come apologize. *I* don't think I should apologize, but he says I might have hurt your feelings." ... "Mom... 40 Grandpa says that we all get scared, but we need to figure out if we're scared for the right reasons. Is that right? What are the "right" reasons to be scared? He wouldn't tell me. He said to ask you." Miss that man, actually. Quite a bit.
3 moms found this helpful
T.S. answers from Sacramento on February 03, 2011
My son had a whole imaginary home... his farm... on which lived all his imaginary friends, mostly animals. He also had a car there that was forever waiting to get out of the shop, and a large vegetable garden that he kept forgetting to bring veggies home from. His alter-ego was a "baby camel" and for about a year and a half (2 1/2 to 4) the baby camel was a part of every conversation.
Then one day, I hadn't heard anything about him in a week or so, and suddenly DS said "You know, my baby camel is only imaginary."
3 moms found this helpful
J.C. answers from Philadelphia on February 03, 2011
My daughter had an imaginary family (husband - Jim and 2 kids James and Jimmy. For all her imagination she was not very creative with the names LOL). I think she had them for about 2 years ages 3 - 4 It actually is a sign of a bright child and my daughter is now in the gifted classes in middle school.
3 moms found this helpful
S.H. answers from Honolulu on February 03, 2011
http://www.babyzone.com/toddler/toddler_development/artic...
Just do a Google search on "Imaginary friends in toddlers' etc.
Its normal.
My daughter was like that...since she was about 2 years old.
She is now 8, and says she remembers her imaginary friends and their names. She does not play with them now... but still remembers them fondly.
2 moms found this helpful
E.H. answers from Washington DC on February 03, 2011
my son just turned 4 and he has been friends with "Ink" for almost a year now. but he is just starting to play nicely with other kids and does not play with ink as much. i think it's such a sweet phase and really lets you into their little minds and how they think. enjoy:)
2 moms found this helpful
M.F. answers from Youngstown on February 03, 2011
Oh I love to hear about imaginary friends! I had them for years when I was younger. Shari and Steven..lol they were great. I had real friends and sisters and a great mom to play with too. My imagination was HUGE! My older kids didn't have any and I wish they would have. If I were you I would just enjoy the fact that she has a great imagination and even play with her "friends" once in a while. Before you know it the "friends" will move away (mine went to Florida) and that will be the end of them. Have fun with your little girl!
2 moms found this helpful
T.B. answers from Washington DC on February 03, 2011
My four year old daughter has an imaginary little brother named Plex (Yo Gabba Gabba...lol). She will periodically say "Momma did you know Plex slept in the bathtub last night?" or "Momma I made Plex pancakes for dinner?" It's all perfectly normal. She is in preschool and is very much a social butterfly with a very active imagination. Now if only I could get an imaginary maid...cook....bottle washer...lol ;D
2 moms found this helpful
A.F. answers from Burlington on February 03, 2011
My daughter is 3.5 and has a whole slew of "friends". They come and go. Some go visit auntie or nana for a bit and then she swaps them out for some others. They've been around for about 1.5 years or so. I'm not concerned at all. She is an only and I'm a single mom, but we do LOTS of social stuff: story time, music class, open gym, playdates, etc. I've heard that it's a sign of intelligence...I think she's super smart, so maybe? Don't take it personally, enjoy that she's entertaining herself (well, her friends!).
1 mom found this helpful
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