HELP. DD 3.11 thinks she is a chicken. WWYD?

[ConstantCraving]

My DD is 3.11 and loves chickens - to the extent that she wants to believe she is a chicken. She has various chicken names she goes by: 'Happy Mrs Chicken', Henny Penny' etc and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of all things chicken (including chicken coops - you wouldn't believe how many there are!) DH and I have not really seen this as an issue, we like the fact she has a good imagination ,and her ability to remember information - and she's only 3, if you can't be a chicken at 3 when can you ?
Anyway, she has recently started nursery for the first time and its causing some issues -she has been calling the other children chickens, which has upset some of them, and she gets upset if the staff call her a little girl. I have sat her down and explained that other children don't want to be chickens and that she is a girl who loves chickens and loves playing being a chicken but she got really upset and stood in front of the mirror saying 'I think you are a chicken, your hair could be feathers .. you have got a beak' (she still talks in the 3rd person) trying to convince herself! Nursery seem worried by her obsession - and now I'm getting worried. My much older DS never did anything like this. I just thought she'd grow out if it - anyone else experienced anything like this?

My dd is quite often a dog and will attach herself to a lead and start begging (barking of course) for someone to take her out for a walk. She will also bring a ball over in her mouth, drop it on your lap, sit panting and looking hopeful until you throw it for her!!!

She is 7yo and doesn't appear to be outgrowing it yet!!

You've got to get her on video telling herself she's a chicken in the mirror! Brilliant!

girliefriend I'm heartened to hear that! My dd 'became' a dog at 3.5 and it's still going strong at 6.5!

We've had days where she'll only walk on all fours, only be called by her chosen dog name (which was usually Clifford), only be groomed rather than have her hair brushed, answer in barks/growls/yelps/pants, bark and growl at strangers , asks us to throw toys for her to 'fetch' . She regularly makes herself and all her cuddly toys (which are all dogs of course) collars and leads. All the games she plays with her (very normal and lovely friends) at school have to involve a dog somewhere, which they have all come to accept.

Thankfully, she has outgrown a lot of those behaviours now but 'dog mode', as we call it, still remains .

Oh the very lowest points were her actually cocking her leg and weeing on the grass at the park and getting into trouble at school for biting another child.

I remember going to pick her up from preschool one day and just hearing a chorus of children yapping and barking .

She has just taught my 11 my twins to bark too.....

I think the time to worry is when she presents you with an egg, and there are none missing from the fridge.

at all of these tales which have made me realise that DD is one of many imaginative children.
I honestly hadn't worried about her til she started nursery and they mentioned it as an 'issue'. It's a Montessori which I chose deliberately thinking they'd be a bit more on her wave length - and she does seem to be getting on ok, apart from the fact that they think her being a chicken is a bit extreme... I can't help but think if she was being a 'princess' they'd be ok with it. Which is disappointing.

My childhood friend who 'was a dog' for years on end, is now a very successful vet. I think it shows great imagination and intelligence to immerse yourself in a role like this.