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Original poster

So how are your imaginary friends doing these days?

31 replies

incognitothismorning · 14/02/2024 14:27

About half a century since I last gave these guys any thought.... but my imaginary twins ( I had 5) have all been subsumed into me in different ways - the shy one has grown up, the loud one has expressed herself quite freely in recent decades, the crafty one had a good run, but never really got off the ground, the sporty one was a late bloomer....

And I had so many imaginary animals when I was a child, mostly otters. I think they were expressing my maternal instincts, which eventually went on fostering children and animals.

Also, I had an imaginary daughter ( when I was about 6) she used to go out scouring dustbins for me, and bringing home anything useful, like lengths of string etc - well I always blamed her, anyway - I think she might still be at work in my house...

And there was an imaginary pixie. He used to ride on my shoulder and whisper choices into my ear. I think I maybe still hear him sometimes! 😂

Anybody else remember when all children had imaginary friends? Does not seem to be much of a thing for today's generation!

OP posts:
SilverSimca · 14/02/2024 14:30

As a fan of Malory Towers and St Clares I had an entire imaginary boarding school. It was located in my house and the house across the road, which there was an imaginary tunnel between, and was populated by a range of characters from those books and many others. It was a "bike school", something entirely invented by me, where cycling was everyone's passion, and various pupils would accompany me on my solo bike rides round the neighbourhood, where I would test them on their cycling skills and proficiency.

AnEmbarrasmentofWitches · 14/02/2024 14:31

Great idea for a thread. At 8 I too had loads of imaginary animals - I think they were ways to help me nurture others, but also to feel nurtured and loved.
40 years on I’m lucky enough to have a wonderful loving family and an adoring and adored dog of my own. And when the DCs have flown the nest I plan to build a pack of rescue dogs 🐕 🐕 🐩 😁

gwenneh · 14/02/2024 14:31

They occasionally surface in the number of unpublished novels I have saved. 😆

Original poster
incognitothismorning · 14/02/2024 14:33

SilverSimca · 14/02/2024 14:30

As a fan of Malory Towers and St Clares I had an entire imaginary boarding school. It was located in my house and the house across the road, which there was an imaginary tunnel between, and was populated by a range of characters from those books and many others. It was a "bike school", something entirely invented by me, where cycling was everyone's passion, and various pupils would accompany me on my solo bike rides round the neighbourhood, where I would test them on their cycling skills and proficiency.

Excellent! A whole school! I feel slightly less silly about having 5 identical twins now!

OP posts:
gano · 14/02/2024 14:34

I can't comment from a personal level, as I didn't have imaginary friends as a kid. But I just wanted to say that my 5yo daughter has a whole group of them with their own personalities. So some children definitely still have them nowadays.

Original poster
incognitothismorning · 14/02/2024 14:35

gano · 14/02/2024 14:34

I can't comment from a personal level, as I didn't have imaginary friends as a kid. But I just wanted to say that my 5yo daughter has a whole group of them with their own personalities. So some children definitely still have them nowadays.

Good to know! They were not universal in my day, I don't think, but certainly a lot more common that they seem to be now. Or maybe we were just more open about it - maybe modern children do all still do this in their heads

OP posts:
Hoglet70 · 14/02/2024 14:37

My Son had two. One was an old man who used to sit in the corner of the bathroom (this freaked me out) and the other one moved house with us and I often wonder if he's still here somewhere. They both had names which never changed over the years.

Original poster
incognitothismorning · 14/02/2024 15:25

Ay a different time I had a couple of ghosts, who would pass through walls and spy on my sister for me...

OP posts:
NaughtyBoyGeorgeMichaelJacksonBrown · 14/02/2024 15:36

I had one called Jenny but we never really got on so it didn't last. I think she probably works in the city.

I did/do have intense fantasy lives, it's calmed down now I'm older but had maladaptive daydreams in my teens/twenties that felt/feel so real they are now like actual memories rather than memories of imaginings! I used to share a flat with Monica in NYC, I was the youngest (and fittest) ever Dr on ER, I've been on tour with Oasis and have won that many Oscars! I pop back sometimes but only when real life gets bad.

Blakessevenrideagain · 14/02/2024 15:40

A version of Famous Five and Secret Island was played out in my head. I wanted an adventurous life...no success there!
My imagination doesn't seem to work in the same way now I'm older, I miss it!

Josephinehetty · 14/02/2024 16:22

My imaginary friend, Matthew, died when we were 15. It was a traumatic, consumptive death and gave me plenty of reason to stare into space and dream!
I obviously read too much.

Original poster
incognitothismorning · 14/02/2024 16:26

Josephinehetty · 14/02/2024 16:22

My imaginary friend, Matthew, died when we were 15. It was a traumatic, consumptive death and gave me plenty of reason to stare into space and dream!
I obviously read too much.

wow! none of mine have died! that sounds traumatic! also interesting that your imaginary friend was male! I wonder how common that is. Most of mine were female

OP posts:
elliejjtiny · 14/02/2024 16:38

I had an imaginary older brother who lived across the road. He had a swimming pool with a water slide in his back garden and all the toys from the Argos catalogue that my mum and dad wouldn't let me have. He was always inviting me round to stay.

Not sure if this counts as an imaginary friend but I used to sit on the edge of my bed with my hobby horse and pretend I was driving a caravan like in the famous five. I was married to Leonardo DiCaprio and we had 10 children (cabbage patch dolls). One of the children was grown up and married to my Ken doll.

Facing40andfrazzled · 14/02/2024 22:15

My imaginary friend was a half lion half unicorn ( think Aslan but white with a pink horn and gold hooves) we were the protectors of a magic kingdom in the sky, his name was Lord Rarrr….

SoftandQuiet · 14/02/2024 22:47

I had a unicorn named Naomi who used to gallop along next to the car when we went on day trips. Also a whole team of huskies which all had names. All my imaginary friends were animals.

MrsMoastyToasty · 14/02/2024 23:15

DS had an imaginary dog called Biscuit. He had his own place at the dinner table.

SisterAgatha · 14/02/2024 23:18

I had one called Billy who used to float on the ceiling and sit next to me in the car. That’s all I remember of him really

Nellieinthebarn · 14/02/2024 23:31

I had a little gnome called Beetle who lived under the chest of drawers in my bedroom. I don't remember him doing much except come out at night and chat, he wasn't magic or anything, he was quite grumpy. He looked like a typical garden type gnome with a red hat, yellow trousers and white beard.

Has2sons · 14/02/2024 23:39

Mine emigrated just as I started primary school (mum said there might not be a desk for him in the class) He had an accident and a hospital stay before emigrating. DS20 had one - must ask after him!

Kattenburg · 14/02/2024 23:55

Unfortunately my imaginary friend died in a fiery car crash in the 90s near Mallorca airport, at the end of a perfect summer. He was only 15. My first boyfriend. Tragic. But also simpler, in a way. RIP 💔

Containerhome · 15/02/2024 00:13

I had an imaginary pet sloth. We where learning about animals or rainforest or something. Will need to google how long sloths live first!

Lorac23 · 15/02/2024 00:15

This is a lovely thread. I had an imaginary friend called Mary when I was very little, I think she probably went back to Ireland and now lives by the sea with her grandchildren, baking cakes and doing the flowers at church and generally having a lovely, peaceful time of it all. I discovered books when I was about four or five and now my imaginary friends also hang around nagging me about when I'm going to put them into stories....

Containerhome · 15/02/2024 00:16

43 years apparently. I'm 32, so he's probably got a good 10 to 11 years left in him. He's probably only.moved a few trees since iwas in year 4....

Runningwildish · 15/02/2024 00:19

I suspect the girls toilets I used to keep my ponies in atprimary school have long since been knocked down.
I imagine that the ponies have escaped the school playground and now run free over the moors.

tenpoundpombear · 15/02/2024 00:47

My imaginary friends were Roland Rat and Kevin the Gerbil, how tragically 80s was I 🤣