Toddler Has Imaginary "Friend"

[Anonymous]

My daughter is 3 months away from her 3rd birthday and has an imaginary "friend". It put friend in quotes becasue the friend is call "birdies" and I am not sure if Birdie is a person or a bird. Anyway my girl will have lengthly conversations with Birdie - in the car, at home and sometimes when we are out. Sometimes she pretends to be on the phone and asks me to say hello to Birdie (yes, I day hello).

She is an only child, but she is in full time daycare/preschool and and is great at making friends (already has a "best friend" that she talks about constantly). The bulk of the weekends is spent with her. We go our a lot, we play and she helps me with chores so I doubt that this is a cry for more attention.


I am not necassarily worried but was curious to see what others think - it seems to me that she is too young for this. I plan to raise with our doctor at the 3yo visit.

Thanks,

[Anonymous]

It just sounds like she has a great imagination.

[Anonymous]

An imaginary friend is quite a normal thing and a wonderful one, too -- and I say this as a psychologist who's worked with many children. It has nothing to do with her social skills or a wish for more attention. For a great discussion of this, check out Crain's Reclaiming Childhood. Please don't worry, and just enjoy Birdie as a member of your household!

[Anonymous]

I had an imaginary friend when I was growing up and as far as I know I'm a pretty normal person. I always have had a vivid imagination, so I guess that's the culprit. Enjoy birdie and please do not see the movie The Orphanage because you will freak out

[Anonymous]

Enjoy Birdie! And take video (if you can do it subtly) or write down some of the conversations for later.

[Anonymous]

It is completely normal - and actually, many highly intelligent/gifted kids have them.

Our dd (4 yrs) has imaginary friends - specifically sisters, brothers and dogs. They live in fantastic places and go on great adventures! Just think of it as a story they're making up! I love hearing about her friends when she chooses to tell us about them. When she was your dd's age she had more animal imaginary friends. In fact, 1 of her classmates has a whole zoo living on the roof of his house! It's really very cute.

[Anonymous]

My 2 year old has an imaginary friend named Noo-Noo

[Anonymous]

I had Bee-Ga and Ga-Ga. Bee-Ga was naughty and Ga-Ga was good. My parents first figured it out when I was talking to an empty wheelbarrow. I also was an only child with a vivid imagination. Now, on the other hand, my daughter never had her own imaginary friends, but she is also less solitary than I was at that age.

[Anonymous]

My son will be 3 in a few months too and now likes to play on the playground with "Donald" as in Donald Duck. I have also heard what other posters said that it is a sign on a good imagination and high intelligence.

[Anonymous]

I had two of them and I htink I'm okay. I was also an only child. My friend's DS had Impy, Jimpy, Jumpy and Plant for a long time. They had his IQ tested later and I think it was around 170.

[Anonymous]

my son made up "Superhand " at 2, Superhand still makes appearances at 4 but not as frequent. I thought it was weird at first but his dr. said all is well. BTW he has a brother.

[Anonymous]

Our preschool application has a question about imaginary friend (yes or no), must be some importance in order for them to ask that on paper...I thought that was interesting!

[Anonymous]

She has a great imagination! My daughter had an imaginary dinosaur who lived under our dining room table for a while. We even fed him cans of tuna. And then he was gone.

[Anonymous]

Cute! This is the sort of thing I'm looking forward to as my baby grows up. Imaginary friends, kiddie lit, crafts... all part of a happy childhood. Love the tuna-eating dinosaur in the dining room, too!

[Anonymous]

my almost three year old son has had an imaginary friend named katho for more than six months. he is often at whole foods buying pizza. katho sometimes joins us for meals too. lately, an animal called lunt-lunt has been around too. he naps alot and eats grass.