Toddler Has Imaginary "Friend"

[pollyanna]

My DC had an imaginary friend until he was about 4 years old - also an only child. He now has a "secret language world" - sort of a parallel universe with strange creatures that he draws for me. He sometimes speaks in a strange dialect too and I am required to respond in the same dialect. In all other respects he's quite normal - then again how would I know since I participate in his fantasies.

[Anonymous]

These stories are so cute. My kid has imaginary friends too. When we ask who she's talking to, she just says, "Invisible." I just figured it was because she was an only child.

[Anonymous]

pollyanna wrote: He sometimes speaks in a strange dialect too.

My goodness, my daughter does the same thing (I am the OP), until seeing your post, I just assumed that she was just reverting to "baby talk", which always results in my getting very annoyed at her and letting her know it - her normal speech is very clear.

Oh, the wonders of childhood - I feel so much better now.

[Anonymous]

I used to play teacher to a whole room of invisible students (while writing on the furniture in permanent marker, of course)

I also had an invisible friend named Chicken Fat.

I hope and pray my son has friends like these too.

(btw - anyone see the movie Drop Dead Fred? I lOVE the scene in the therapists office where all the invisible friends see each other for a little reunion)

[Anonymous]

My son's imaginary friends are the little M&M guys--he talks about his Red M&M friend and his Green M&M friend all the time. It started after DH bought some little M&M guy xmas ornaments. We'll be driving and he'll say, "I used to work at that building with my M&M friends", tell me stuff that they do (not sure they're the best influence, based on some of these stories) and wants to send them email. I'm not sure if I should be concerned, or start making video of these conversations to try to sell to M&M/Mars for marketing.

[Anonymous]

I agree with all the previous posters that this is just a HEALTHY imagination - enjoy it! It is wonderful to hear about all the different ways our children have incorporated imaginary play into their daily lives - it is a true wonder to observe and fun to participate in, though I sometimes have a hard time keeping up with my daughter's imagination. My daughter (3y4m) has imaginery monsters that do different things with her (and I occasionally, but of course inadvertently, step on), as well as other imaginery creatures (lions and tigers). She also has real stuffed animals that do unreal things to her and end up in the "naughty chair" or get reprimanded (which makes me realize how ridiculous she thinks I sound when reprimanding her). Re the strange dialects, my daughter is a master of making up funny words and names, which she sometimes insists that we repeat (and many of them are tough!) - if we make a mistake, she is actually capable of repeating her last spontaneous made-up word. Other times, we have entire conversations of nonsense words.

The best thing about imaginery friends is that they can come with your child anywhere and do anything, and don't need batteries - the best kind of "toy" imaginable!

[Anonymous]

My daughter has an imaginary brother named Little-by-little. He lives in Boston and has a plane that makes pancakes.