DD1 has what we call an imaginary friend. She gave him a weird name (titatty) made entirely up and based on nothing we can think of, has been around for about 3/4 of a year now. It is a boy. He has green hair. Apparently.
Sometimes she talks in "his" voice (lowers her own voice a tone or so when she does talk) and pretends to be him. So I say something like "Come here DD" and she says "I'm NOT [DD] I'm titatty" and I then have to talk to "him". Then he's the imaginary friend as a separate person who she chats to. Had to give him his own bowl at the lunch table today. He is mentioned at least once a day if not more.
It's kind of cute, but a bit weird too. Sometimes I find myself getting cross though, when she blames "him" for something she did that was naughty. Then I think about Drop Dead Fred!!!
So. When does imaginary friend stop being cute, and start being scary. I mean if a grown up person had one, it would be a definable physcological problem!!!!
Do lots of children have them? I really honestly thought they were made up for stories - never thought they "existed" (as it were...)
What does it mean when children have them?
And it's the one thing I have never seen discussed on MN before. Possibly I have just missed the conversation, but I AM an avid lurker