Was my DDs imaginary friend a ghost?

[MrsDylanThomas]

The time of year for such a thread but anyway...!

My DD is now 6 but when she was just 2.5/under age 3 she had an imaginary friend called William. Very young to have an imaginary friend IMO. For a period of about 3 weeks she spoke to William, 'read' books to him and if we were in the park she would stop and say 'C'mon William! Hurry up' whereas she was talking to thin air.

All very normal imaginary friend behaviour.

But one evening around this time, I asked her where was William? I was kind of joking. I remember we were sitting together on the couch before bedtime and she said 'William has gone to college where he lives'.

Turns out my husband's grandfather was called William (they called him Billy) and he worked in the accounts department of a university.

I asked her about him the other day as was thinking about it and she said she often talks to him at bedtime of if she's worried about anything. She's a happy, sociable and clever child so don't think it's anything to worry about.

But I just think William is a name she didn't hear in crèche, or in stories and I didn't think she knew the word 'college' at that age.

Her other imaginary friend was called Alice. I thought it was from Alice in wonderland but (chillingly) my husband's granny was called Alice!

Sorry to spoke you out mumsnetters. Am I filling in gaps or AIBU? Love to hear your thoughts!

Oops 'spook' you out, obviously!

If everyone called him Billy, why would she be calling him William? And universities and colleges are different things and he wouldn't be living there if he worked in accounts.

William and Alice are common names and children are very imaginative.

I think you're overthinking it OP. DS1 had a bunch of imaginary friends: Scooby-Doo and the mystery gang. Yes all of them.

Used to take up the whole sofa, eat several biscuits, decide they didn't like things on TV.

They also played lots of games altogether, helped his little brother and were kind to his cousins.

It's just a phase.

Who knows - i'm openminded, don't have any set beliefs/religion but love a good woo thread. It's a lovely story though.

No, ghosts aren't real.

That's for responses! I know but wanted to believe a spookier explanation #sadiknow #needtogetalife:)

That's very creepy pensioner and weirdly insightful. Be interesting to investigate bench man

OK, it could be a very active imagination but its quite a coincidence on the names. I'd ask your daughter to describe them - are they older or younger than Mummy and Daddy, hair colour, are they taller or shorter than Mummy, etc etc.

I believe you op! I have a similar story.

I don't think you're overthinking at all! Spooky.

DS's imaginary friend came from Mars. A bit like Chocky but without making DS into a super-intelligent maths whizz.

DS has an imaginary friend. He's 3.5 and this friend has been around for about a year. It's never crossed my mind that it might be a ghost (part of me really wants to believe in ghosts, I love the idea of some mysterious part of physics that has yet to be vindicated being the explanation for ghosts. But the older I get, the more sceptical/logical/pragmatic I get).

I do worry, however, that this friend is an indication that DS is bored, that we don't play with him enough (we both work ft & have to work at home most evenings & weekends). Although he does have real friends at cm/nursery.

So yes, I am worried about the presence of an imaginary friend, but for more 'normal' reasons.

No, ghosts don't exist.

No. Because ghosts don't exist.

I love the idea of a small child's imaginary friend having a sensible job in accounts!

Well my ds had an imaginary friend called Alan. He lived in the mirror. DS once said to me "I wish I could go home" I replied that he WAS at home, he said mournfully "No. THis is Alan's home. I want to go back to MY home"

We found his choice of the name Alan hilarious as it was SUCH an unlikely name for a four year old to pick out. Then I found out that the servant living in this house in 1911 was called Allen.

But I remain convinced this was an amusing coincidence rather than evidence of woo.

That's for responses! I know but wanted to believe a spookier explanation

Why though?

I don't get all woo nonsense and why people would even want to believe it.

Sounds like your DD's friend is a 'round of toast ' but luckily, a friendly one.

Not unless your DD is a character in a book. Ghosts are only in stories.

My dts both tell me they were someone else before, dt1 especially, he says he used to be a little girl and that he died in his bed before he turned in to him. He says that his sisters were poorly like him and died before him, and he was sad about it, he actually gets quite emotional about that bit.

When the girl he says he used to be died, he went to look for his sisters and then he was him instead.
Tbh I just think he is testing out his imagination, although the small woo part of me wants to think its real.

I find it fascinating that so many very young children give detailed and often quite sad descriptions of 'past lives'. I wonder what the explanation is.

DD1 (7) had an imaginary friend called Katherine when she was three. She said that Katherine lived in our house a very long time ago but had to go so we could live in the house. We were talking to our neighbours, an old couple, when DD mentions Katherine. The lady asked who Katherine was and DD explained what I've said above. Neighbour looked very shocked and explained that in the 1980s there was a little girl called Katherine who lived in our house but died when she was nine in a car crash. Thought it was spooky but realised it's just a coincidence because Katherine is a very common name and DD probably picked it up from pre-school. Really, there's nothing to worry about.

Me too squoosh, dt2s "past life" is quite different to dt1s, he says he lived in a jungle with his people, I asked where the jungle was and he said South America he died in a fire that was supposed to keep them warm. they both love talking about it, even if they get a bit upset about it. The thing that sticks in their mind the most seems to be their death, they're not usually that morbid, and I wonder if it's their way of processing the concept of death and dying.