Imaginary friends - how common are they?

[artifarti]

DS is 3.5 and has an imaginary friend called Wozza. Wozza first turned up about a year ago and always seemed to appear when DS was going through a 'challenging' phase. We would hear about what Wozza had said/done and DS would talk to him on the phone. Now DS talks to and plays with Wozza (although this mainly seems to involve DS bossing Wozza about it has to be said ). It doesn't really worry or concern me although I do wonder if it's intensified because there's been a lot going on here recently (moving house, starting pre-school, me expecting DS2 in March). I just find it quite fascinating and wondered how common it is/what experiences other people have of DC's imaginary friends, how long they stick around for etc.

DD has an imaginary friend called Sarah and three imaginary schools. Apparently it's a good thing and shows imagination, but there are times...

dd had one that was weird - She said such strange things i began to think the house was haunted!

dd had a few around that age including two who were characters in one of my playstation games They lasted a good couple of years. For a while she had luke Skywalker and a ghost she kept in her pocket.

DD had Mr Nobody, Mrs I Don't Know and The Inquisible Man. The three of them got up to all sorts and DD thought it very unfair that she was always held responsible for their bad behaviour. I think they were around until she was about 6.

Oh God, do they last years?? DD is 2.5 and has had her 'dogs' for quite a few months now. They're bloody hard work and take up huge amounts of time! She needs to feed, dress, walk them before doing anything she's been asked to do. They also make a LOT of mess. One in particular goes with her anywhere new, so I think a lot of it is about security. She is hilarious with them, but they're quite wearing!

DD had invisible dogs for years multiplying to a whole invisible menagerie before vanishing (mostly) when she was 6 or so. They started when she was around 2.5 and trailing a bit of string, someone said as a joke that it looked like she had an invisible dog on a lead. The two main ones were called Fishog and Fishdog.

I thought they were great from a purely selfish viewpoint as she would very often play with them quite happily if we were waiting for a bus, trailing round town or whatever. She also had an invisible shetland pony called Suzie and could usually be encouraged to hurry up by getting Suzie to trot on with a leading rein

I love the names they make up! Glad to hear about some other dogs!

Haha, you are all making me chuckle. It's the names they come up with that always seem to be quite bizarre.

DP and I used to dread Wozza turning up as it usually meant that DS was going to go through a naughty phase but now I am quite liking him as DS will play quite happily with him ("No, Wozza, the blue one is mine - you can have the red one but only when I say so..." etc.)

They do seem to quite often disappear around 5 or 6 from what I've read.

X-post about the crazy names belindarose! DS currently wants to call the new baby Wozza when it arrives...

Oh I miss dd's imaginary friends. They went away somewhere between nursery and reception.

Someone on here once posted that they were going to do some academic research into them - that would be fascinating.

We had Lola for a number of years. DD used to walk down the street - 1 hand on dollies pram and the other held out as if holding Lola's hand. I also had to be careful about closing car door too quickly before Lola had chance to get in.

Went on for a good while but has now long gone.

A friend of mine Ds had 'Mr Monkeyman'. When they went shopping she had to get a trolley with two seats. One for Ds and one for 'Mr Monkeyman' and she also had to set a place at the table for him.

Fortunately 'Mr Monkeyman' didn't eat as he 'was not hungry'. Must have saved her a fortune for the year that he was around.

There's an article here about the research someone did, Squeaver. I filled in her questionnaire, it was fascinating.

My imaginary friends were a large group of flying horses. I don't think they misbehaved much but my bed could get quite crowded

We have 'baby tiger' who lives in the airing cupboard and a ogre who varies between being a baby and a full grown ogre who lives in my sock drawer and has various outings but has to be carried in my bra like a kangaroo mummy, this we put down to having a rescue kitten who had to be kept at regular temp so it was easier to put him in a sling under my top.

Baby tiger has lived there for years and he never leaves the airing cupboard but baby/grown up ogre is usually responsible for all the naughtiness in the house.

Boychild is 4.5 and they seem to be dissapearing slowly, I will oddly miss them when they are gone.

Oh I just love the names they give their imaginary friends and the scenes they act out with them!

I think it is fairly common. DD (3 a few weeks ago) started having imaginary friends about 6 months ago. It started just with one but now there is a whole brood of them. She takes care of them as if they are her babies (and also tells them off quite a bit ). We have Darling, Boys and Didn't I Say.

She also has a number of alter-egos which come with different outfits, gestures and language... Mum, Favourite Mamar, Princess and Ballet. My favourite is Ballet. The others are quite bossy!

I still get teased by my sisters about the imaginary friend I had as a child (and I'm over 40 now). I do remember him clearly, and playing with him, he/it was very real at the time. I am from a large family, and I used to escape to the porch to play with him DD never had one to my knowledge.

My 4 yo has 3 imaginary friends called Pom Pom, Cara and Mrs Pink. Pom Pom is a fairy, Cara is Pom Pom's best friend and Mrs Pink only appears sometimes but she's really bossy.

She also has an 'imaginary' self - she calls herself Snow Bee. Apparently Snow Bee is in charge in our house . When she sees her reflection in the window on the train she says "hello Snow Bee" and "hello snow bee's mummy" to my reflection

My DD is nearly 4 and has had "Mr Nobody" for quite some time. He doesnt DO a lot...he's often there at dinner and when we go in a taxi. he sits in a chair if it's pulled to the wall I've noticed.

Ds's imaginery friends appeared at 2 and left at about 5-6. He started off as Dado (dad) and Jimmy (mum). Kid (baby) appeared soon after. About 18 months later Tommy and Jackie (sometimes young children sometimes teenagers) appeared from nowhere along with Chippy (babysitter). Dado and Jimmy used to come with me on the train to work.

Ds also had an imaginery builder called Ben who did a variety of different jobs and often had to transport a large team of builders around in his van.

He's 7.7 now and I've not heard him mention them for over a year.

My dd just turned six and still has imaginary friends, her main one appeared when she was three, but there have been some that come and go. We never had a problem with it, it kept her entertained. We are expecting a baby in a few months, so the imaginary friends may disappear then.

Oh, thanks for that Empress.

You're welcome Squeaver.
BandOfMothers - so THAT's where Mr Nobody went! Watch out for him drawing on walls and hiding shoes in random places

dd1 has had three (with the odd friend dropping in) since she was about 2 years old . They went a bit quiet when dd started reception in September (guess she was too tired after school) but came back in force over the Christmas break. I got a bit spooked at first but really enjoyed listening to her chatting away to them over Christmas. One sadly has just moved to live in Africa but they talk on the phone occasionally . I find it quite fascinating and hope they stay around for a few years

DS is 3.5 and has two, Wacky and Bong. Wacky goes to the 'black' nursery (I don't think this has anything to do with skin colour ,since we live in a very multi-cultural area and if that were the case, I'd've thought ours would be the black nursery). Wacky's very naughty and is always hitting DS and doing naughty things. Not sure how to take that part of it - should that worry me? Wacky lives in various places we pass in the car, and also DS is always spotting his family when we're out and about - "Oh! Dat was Wacky's mum!" Bong only pops up occasionally - DS will give a knowing little chuckle and say fondly, "ohhh, Bong does that." It's obviously something to do with independence and being able to participate socially - v. sweet. Hard to know what to say though when his older brother stonily says "Wacky doesn't exist."