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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

4 yo ds lives in a fantacy world......

17 replies

generaldogsbody1 · 19/02/2006 21:31

he has always had an active imagination, but it seems to be getting a bit too much. if that makes sense? eg, he will be sonic the hedgehog, mummy you be knuckles and thats the way it carries on. at first it would last for 30mins or so but now it carries on for days. (we have been on the sonic theme for 3 days now) when its time to get back to reallity, ds becomes v. upset. i have been trying to monitor this, trying to work out if he is using role play to work out a problem with nursery etc, but i admit defeat, i ain't got a clue. ne one else had experience of this??

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jennifersofia · 19/02/2006 21:40

My dd's are 3.5 & 5, and they are always doing this. "Mummy you be Mary and I will be Mummy" "you be Gordon and I will be Thomas" etc. Daddy seems to have permanently become the fat controller and will do a yorkshire accent to match. I wouldn't worry too much about it, I think it is pretty normal, though can be a bit tiring for the adult!

Flowertop · 19/02/2006 21:57

Yes, my just 5 DS2 is very much like this. He is now into power rangers and it's like he is obsessed with being one of them. He goes around the house doing kung-fu kicks and shouting hi-ya at the top of his voice all day long. Can get a bit waring but sure it is just a phase. We will look back and laugh I'm sure. XX

WharfRat · 19/02/2006 22:12

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Original poster

generaldogsbody1 · 20/02/2006 08:47

it's a good thing that i can remember who is who!!! mind you he has worked out what shows i know and the ones i don't. will have to do more research, by watching jetix, nick, and cartoon network lol

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ProfessorGrammaticus · 20/02/2006 18:19

My child has been a cat most of the time since before Christmas. He has a name, a bed, a bowl and a lead (?). He has to be addressed by the cat's name and will correct you if you use his real name. He has fur not clothes and refuses things because "cats don't eat..."

I am clinging on to the belief that this is normal and will pass - but he's nearly 5!

brightstar1 · 20/02/2006 18:49

My ds (4) does this all the time, he is also a cat! drinks water from a bowl,crawls around everywhere,purrs,scratches.has a v.vivid imagination! Which i think is great.

Mercy · 20/02/2006 19:05

dd will be 5 in April and over the last 2 years she's been Sleeping Beauty (ad nauseum), Mary (Jesus' mum), Rapunzel and more recently Charlie and/or Lola. But her longest lasting role has been as a puppy, complete with barking, eating 'bones' etc as per Prof. Grammaticus' ds.

I assume it's normal - I just tend to go along with it. ds, just turned 2, is a very uncooperative prince, Joseph etc so I usually play the all the supporting roles

Not much help, but you're not alone

earthtomummy · 20/02/2006 19:11

DS pretty much lives in his fantasy world. The best was when he spent quite a while being an anaconda with me having to be a rock. Wlaking to school like whales was also a challenge. He's 5 in May and still in the same place. On the-ve side it can be tiring. On the plus side, he is so omaginative that if he wants a toy he doesn't have, he just pretends he has. I spent ages folding up a pretend parachute on the incredible Hulk today because he wanted a parachuting soldier like his friend but does't have one. Infact, one was offered, but he declined in favour of pretend one. I think his friends think it's a bit odd sometimes...! Not everyone can / wants to pretend that an octopus is really a remote control to make a plastic dinosaur walk..

Maddison · 20/02/2006 21:47

Yeah, my DS1 was 5 last month and spends most of his time at home being somebody else and roping us all in too! He doesn't forget ANYTHING either so if we slip up and call him by his name he quickly corrects us! He has a very active imagination too.

I'm just enjoying it, the way I see it they aren't kids for long and if this is what he enjoys doing then so be it

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 20/02/2006 21:59

dd2 (3) is the same. I am very often the snow queen or someone from Harry Potter. there are times when she won't answer to her real name and although she permits the odd slip it can last a couple of days. she also makes up outrageous porkies - eg having jelly and icecream at fruit time at school, having mario world on the computer at school - that's ok co I know it's total hoss shite but otehr things teeter on the border of feasibility - so potentially awkward. I assume it's all normal and don;t worry about it

Arabica · 21/02/2006 00:31

Yes, all v normal but boy is it tiring. DS is currently appearing as various characters from Lazytown, plus for many months he refused to answer to his own name. Had to call him Purple Baby Mole (a character he invented).

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 21/02/2006 00:35

i love the idea of purple baby mole.

Gingerbear · 21/02/2006 00:50

Natural part of development I'd say. It is wonderful , if somewhat tiring, for us as parents to see our child develop imagination and memory. DD is into Cinderella in a huge way - she is Cinders (naturally), whilst multi-talented mummy plays the supporting cast. The theatre can be at home, in the car, supermarket, anywhere.
And once we have finished the main production, we then have to get down to the serious Artwork Direction - drawing or painting all the characters and recreating Walt Disney's storyboards.

I should get an Oscar.

arfissimo · 21/02/2006 01:06

Oh yes, DD (3) is just like this too. Today we have been mummy bear and baby bear, yesterday she was a puppy dog - panting and catching balls. It was hilarious. The rest of the time she is a ballerina, which I think is pretty standard 3 year old girl.

Ellbell · 21/02/2006 01:12

Oh boy... this is everyday reality (that is, fantasy reality!) in our house.

My dds are 3 and5 and are constantly being someone/thing else. Dd1 is usually a princess or an older child (I'm Lily and I'm 10...!); dd2 is usually some animal or other (horse, cat, dog, hamster... yes really). On Saturday she went round Tescos pretending to be a baby (making crying baby noises, sucking her thumb and saying 'mumma... baby want bockle...baby want teggy... baby want dummy...' till I was ready to call security and ask them to take her away!). They also like to pretend we live in a boarding school (or, as they call it 'a sleepover school') and that I am their teacher (known as 'Mrs Ellbell'), dh is another teacher (Mr Ellbell) and they are the pupils. They don't do much work in this school, but they quite like being made to stand in line and do marching exercises. Very odd! Sorry... but you have a few more years of this to go if my two are anything to go by.

Original poster

generaldogsbody1 · 21/02/2006 09:49

yesterday and today, i'm omega from sonic lol. with robot voice included, ds was in bed last night shouting down to me "ooooommmmeeeeeegggaaaaa, i need a drink" etc

OP posts:

ProfessorGrammaticus · 21/02/2006 13:23

I'm glad my DS2 isn't the only one with a long-runner, though. After 3 months solid I was starting to wonder a bit!

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