Stuffed Animals - Aliquippa,PA

Updated on July 30, 2012
S.B. asks from Burgettstown, PA
12 answers

Is it normal for a 3 year old to talk to his stuffed animals? Sometimes I hold his stuffed animal and act make it pretend to talk to my son. Is that hurting him or giving him the wrong impressions?

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S.H.

answers from Huntsville on

If it's not normal then my 6 year old should be in the looney bin :)

They role play with their toys. I'll hear her have whole conversations with her toys! Then you get to learn the phrases you say to them too much - because they are saying them to their toys! haha

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X.O.

answers from Chicago on

Not only is it normal to do it, it would be a bit abnormal NOT to.

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L.R.

answers from Washington DC on

It's perfectly normal. In fact you should encourage it, and it's fine and wonderful that you play with him by "talking" for his stuffed friend. It will not hurt him or make him unable to tell the difference between reality and fiction. It actually is helping him by encouraging his verbal skills and imagination! Why does this concern you? Are you worried that somehow he will actually think the animal is really alive? He is at an age where he is processing things like the difference between "real" and "not real" and he will be fine. If he seems to you to be thinking the animal is alive, be aware that he is pretending -- he may want to give the animal food, for instance, so go along and give him a little bowl of Cheerios or something dry and tell him to be sure to have some for himself.

It is much, much better for him to be playing with mom and his toys -- being together with you, engaged in imaginative play -- than for him to be plopped in front of the TV. Truly.

So keep it up. Do more of it!

My daughter is 11, very mature for her age, but also loves her small group of stuffed animals deeply. So do I. She and I still play with them, having them talk through us, giving them adventures sometimes (yesterday one slipped into my bag and came to church with us -- yes, I did it, and we both had a blast). She has no problem distinguishing between real and fictional, and in fact she has a great imagination. So keep up the good work, S.!

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K.C.

answers from Washington DC on

Perfectly normal ... Its part of their imaginative play.

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C.C.

answers from San Francisco on

Absolutely normal. In fact, kids still do this when they're a bit older. My youngest is 7 and routinely sets up all her animals in a "classroom" and then teaches them her school lessons! Sometimes she will ask me to play, too, and I will hold the animals and make them "talk." My daughter loves that.

It just shows that your child is using his imagination, which is a good thing.

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C.Z.

answers from Omaha on

Very normal... If not my son is crazy because they have names, and they talk a lot!

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C.B.

answers from San Francisco on

Not IMO. I think it stimulates their imagination.

Also, if you just listen to what he says when he's the animal, it will give you some real insight into what he's thinking/feeling, etc. I find listening to kids when they are pretending to be a doll or stuffed animal very enlightening!

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N.G.

answers from Dallas on

It is WAY normal for a child to talk to their stuffed animals. I would worry about a child who didn't! :)

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C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

It's imaginative play and it's normal and healthy.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

TOTALLY normal. My DD has whole tea parties with her toys, or goes camping. Sometimes we will play vet with her and the rhino will be the doctor and the other toys will explain their ailments. Children learn so much through play. He's just doing pretend play and it's very very normal. Further, it is good that you play with him, as too many people ignore kids and don't see any benefit in interacting with them beyond needs. My DD (nearly 4) will tell you that her bear is "just a toy" but she still makes it talk and interact if she's playing a game.

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B..

answers from Dallas on

If it's not normal then I was a dang weirdo, and so is my son!!

This is good. It's called imagination and ingenuity. Your son has a creative mind. Nurture that, don't be freaked out by it.

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B.P.

answers from Cleveland on

my daughter does it, they all have names too, she has pink the pink girrafe, meow(how) cat the car, and froggy the frog that she takes every where with her along with her pooh blanket

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