DD aged 3 "wants to be" someone else

[bushymcbush]

Every time she comes across a character she likes, she wants to be them, or visits a friend she wants to stay there for good.

The latest is Emily from Bagpuss (we have a DVD).

It's making me because of how upset she gets, constantly saying "I don't want to be Lily, I want to be..." or "I wish I could go to such and such / do this or that like ..." or if we are at someone's house she says "I want to stay here, I don't want to go home".

Is this normal or should I be worried? Does she hate her life?

This is just roleplaying, go along with it.

No, it's normal, DS is always being someone else, this week he's been spiderman, tree fo tom and mike the knight all in one day!

Also they think very literally and in the present so when she says "I don't want to go home" or "I don't like X" she just means she doesn't want to do that thing right now because she's having too much fun where she is. She thinks she wants to do that thing forever and ever because she can't imagine feeling differently to how she currently does. Like as a child you want every day to be Christmas day, but as an adult you know that even if you had all the fun parts of it you'd get bored and exhausted if it went on for too long.

It's normal. (I hope as 3 y old DD does it too!).
She would also rather sit with anyone other than me when we go on public transport (she has a particular thing for wanting to sit next to old ladies or young Muslim ladies in headscarves) She's also started to 'rank' people that she likes and tell me when she likes/doesn't like me.
It makes me feel a bit sad sometimes too but I just try and look at it as creativity and a way of starting to understand other people and relationships.

Yes my 3 year old does this too and it makes me sad, so really pleased to see it's normal.