Couple of questions about imaginary friends

[squeaver]

Dd (3.9) has a little gang of imaginary friends. There's a couple of regulars and few extra visitors now and again. Of course, all of this is absolutely fine, I'm not thinking she's a weirdo or anything (and she has loads of real life friends too).

But here's my questions:

Should I talk to her about them as if they're real, ask questions about what they're doing etc or just go "hmm, that's nice"?

She's just started a new nursery school - should I mention this to the teachers?

She is an only btw.

DS3 (3.9 as well!) has a whole host of imaginary friends. We all ask about them and treat them as real. DS2 loves ds3's imaginary friends!

I imagine that the nursery teachers will be aware that lots of children have imaginary friends,so no real need to mention it imo. You may find that the imaginary friends stay at home while your dd goes off to nursery. That's what happened here anyway.

My dd isn't an only, but there is a 3.7 year gap between her and dd2 so I think she partly enjoyed the company of the imaginaries.

Sometimes I talk to dd1 (4.8) about her imaginary friends, after a while she laughs at me and reassures me that they are "pretend only"

Oh cool, we ask about them too although sometimes I get told that I'm not allowed to be told anything!

I actually think it's very endearing. And I'm glad it's obviously not an "only child thing"

I talk and ask about them
They are fun fun fun in this house!

I think that most/all children know that they are making them up. If we talk about them in front of anyone (even my parents) dd1 goes all sheepish and quiet and embarrassed. It is endearing, I agree.

I read somewhere it is a sign of creativity (iirc)!

ds3 seems to have certain imaginary friends (especially the one that goes by the name of his cousin) whose sole purpose seems to be to be told off.

Recently I had to mop up ds3's tears because ds2 told him that Minon (one of the imaginary friends) had hit him and called him a poo-poo head!

My dd is six soon and has one .... he drives an ambulance, works everywhere we go and is called Paul - he gets on my nerved tbh so i never ask about him........

Nappyz

I had to chase teh Ha hoo ourt the window at dinner time, it had been sat on daddies chair since breakfast!

dd1 used to have an invisible mouse call ed noone who weas purple and pink
it used to ride on top of the car and come evrywhere with us
I used to tak about him sometimes and she used to occasionally remind me is was 'only tend'
she was 3at the time

dd2 is now three and a bit and every house she sees is her friend Jade.
she collects slugs that csan talk to her and alwasy has one called Jade every now and then

(we dont know anyone called Jade btw)

I dont think you need to talk to her about it or talk to her about iyswim

wahtever feels comfortable for you really

every Horse I mean not house....

ah bless my neice has a whole host of babies to look after and several more in her tummy waiting to be born. her older imaginary brother put them there and helps her look after them.

i always ask her if anymore have born and if they have been good

she has just started nursery too. dd1 never had imaginary friends but she did have a 'debbie' who lived in her bedroom and told her bedtime stories.

DS 3.4 has a whole menagerie of animals but no people... He has been acquiring them over the last six months or so, but definitely knows they are not real. A few days ago my mother offered him a runner bean for his rabbits and he looked at her very scathingly and said "they are pretend, you know". I get a running commentary of what they are up to all day long and have to hold the boot open when we take the dog for a walk so the rabbits and kangaroos can get in too!

DD has one called 'Mimi' who only appears intermittently

I always do ask about her and what she's doing, DD loves it (but is also perfectly aware that she's not actually real). she's 3.9 too