IMAGINARY FRIENDS | Is it normal?

Hello everyone,

For the for blog post today I want to talk to you about George, no not George from Peppa Pig but George our new imaginary friend. My daughter has just started to master the art of imaginative play and some of the conversations she has with her friend George are both adorable and entertaining. So is it normal for a toddler to have an imaginary friend?

Amelia and her imaginary friend George do everything together. They play, the read, eat and even do the bedtime routine together and I am sure you have guessed - George is very mischievous boy and gets Amelia into lots of trouble! Naughty George! But having an imaginary friend must a be a great thing to have and anyone who has seen Drop Dead Fred will know how useful an imaginary friend can be when things go crazy! George did it! George did it! A phrase we hear a lot.
So why do children conjure up these imaginary friends?
Being a toddler is no walk in the park! Think about it? Everyone is always telling you what to do, you have to share your toys, try to comprehend certain behaviours and you will be undoubtedly going through some major milestones. So, you can understand why toddlers may need to conjure up an imaginary friend - they won't tell them what to do, they won't play with their toys and they will do whatever your toddler wants them to do. But George puts up with a lot as he is always there for Amelia when she needs someone to blame for her behaviour and he's an outlet for expressing emotions. Who wouldn't want an imaginary friend? Heck I want one!
The whole imaginary friend situation did make me feel a little awkward in the beginning - do I acknowledge him, do invite him along for our adventures? I wanted get a good balance of fantasy and reality, but could I take the it too far? But after speaking to other parents they reassured me that it is common and completely normal for someone of her age to have an imaginary friend and therefore we needed to be a little more welcoming to our new friend.

It wasn't too long ago that imaginary friends used to be a cause for concern, but today there seems to be a suggestion that by having imaginary friends are actually helping children get ahead in learning and their social development.

If you think about it when a child has an imaginary friend, they must supply all the conversations themselves using their own words which will boost their language development. Your little one will never have to play alone and doesn't need someone to tell them what to do - they are able to figure it out on their own. By your toddler pretending and making up scenarios is actually helping them become more creative and even helps them handle difficult situations.

But a few things to remember...

By all means accept your new 'family' member and let your toddler and  their imagination run wild but always make sure that it is your child who brings up their friend into conversations and not to let them cheekily get out of bad behaviour - George goes to the step with Amelia!!! And don't use this new friend of theirs to get what you want, it doesn't matter how many times you say that their friend like peas your toddler will probably still not eat them!

So, having an imaginary friend is normal. If there's an empty seat at the dinner table and your little friend is there try not to worry too much, be kind and open to the new friend. After all you are watching your toddler become creative little thinkers!!!

Does you child have an imaginary friend? What's their name?
Run Jump Scrap!
Cuddle Fairy

7 comments

  1. I have an imaginary friend. His name is Jorge and he always drinks my wine, the bastard!
    I think this shows she's a very clever girl. Doing role play and creating a buddy is intelligent thinking. You can use it to your advantage too by telling George off for certain things and getting the message across without Amelia feeling like she's being told off! #bloggerclubuk

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    1. Haha...I think we have that kind of friend haha! Oh that's a really good point actually, thanks!

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  2. I think it's so great that an imaginary friend is accepted as normal. Although my little doesn't have an imaginary friend we have all sorts of other imaginary factors going on at home which I think is great. Thanks for linking up to #coolmumclub with this post!

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    1. That's OK my lovely. I remember a few of the friends children had one but just wondered whether it's actually normal. After speaking to lots more parent and blogger, I'm glad that it's normal. Thank for stopping by!

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  3. I had an imaginary friend when I was younger and even now my mother embarrasses me with stories of how I refused to let an old lady sit next to me on the bus because Fred was sitting there! It is perfectly normal and shows an active and creative imagination. One daughter had one too and we always had to lay an extra place at the dinner table etc. Eventually she just grew out of it. #fortheloveofBLOG

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    1. How old was your daughter when she grew out of this phase? Haha you can always rely on good ole mum for those types of embarrassing stories, haha!

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  4. I studied this at uni and it's a great things and fantastic for a child's development. They will grow out of it but embrace it while it lasts and it can help with cognition and growth! Seriously... it's a good thing!

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