I'm watching this movie on Lifetime Movie Network about a little girl who has an imaginary friend, and I got to wondering some pretty serious things. What makes a kid believe they really see someone? Is there someone there that adults can't see or believe in anymore? How many of you had imaginary friends? Or your kids? Is it acceptable to play along, or should we squash the imaginary friend, and at what age is it appropriate to do so?
I wonder how I would react to my (hypothetical) child playing with or telling me s/he had a friend I couldn't physically observe. I imagine it would creep me out.
When I was little I would pretend I had an imaginary friend named Kelly. I knew other kids had imaginary friends, and I felt like it was the normal thing to do, play with invisible people. My parents would just nod and smile, not acknowledging or encouraging Kelly, but not completely discrediting her, probably hoping in time that I'd grow out of a thing I never believed in in the first place. So I'd like input from everyone who has something to say! :D
Imaginary Friends In-Depth Questionnaire
Invited: All users.
Discussion Topics
1.
Did you have an imaginary friend?
(48 posts)
2.
How old were you?
(12 posts)
3.
How did your parents handle it?
(8 posts)
4.
Do your children have imaginary friends?
(9 posts)
5.
How do you handle it?
(5 posts)
6.
What are imaginary friends?
(28 posts)
As a kid, did you have an imaginary friend? More than one? I'd love to hear about him or her!
10/31/2011
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I really wanted an imaginary friend as a kid, but could never keep one
10/31/2011
Quote:
What do you mean by that? They kept leaving you?
Originally posted by
Lucidity
I really wanted an imaginary friend as a kid, but could never keep one
10/31/2011
Haha, no, I just couldn't believe enough. I believed in all sorts of science fiction and fantasy stuff, but I just felt silly trying to have a conversation with someone who wasn't there.
10/31/2011
Quote:
That was my problem. I just couldn't believe. I believe in all sorts of things, like faeries and werewolves and ghosts, but imaginary friends are called that for a reason, in my mind. I could never get past that.
Originally posted by
Lucidity
Haha, no, I just couldn't believe enough. I believed in all sorts of science fiction and fantasy stuff, but I just felt silly trying to have a conversation with someone who wasn't there.
10/31/2011
i had 1 or 2 imaginary friends when i was little, but i kept it to myself. for me, it was just 2 friends that i made up in my head & pretended to talk to when i was alone. & by alone, i mean in my room or in the backyard, not in public. i never believed that they actually existed, i just liked pretending that i had a friend or 2 w/ me when i was alone & bored.
10/31/2011
I didn't have one consistent imanginary friend, but when I was playing I would often pretend someone else was playing with me. My imaginary friends were usually animals(especially foxes and wolves) and we would play in the prairie behind my house.
10/31/2011
Quote:
Same!
Originally posted by
MeliPixie
That was my problem. I just couldn't believe. I believe in all sorts of things, like faeries and werewolves and ghosts, but imaginary friends are called that for a reason, in my mind. I could never get past that.
10/31/2011
I never had an imaginary friend, but I think it's because I have a sister who is close to my age. We were (are still are) inseparable.
10/31/2011
I did. But not for long because my dad made fun of me.
10/31/2011
I didn't. I wanted one, but I knew they weren't real, so didn't see much point.
11/01/2011
Quote:
I dont remember having an imaginary friend, but I did have stuffed animals who all had their own personalities
Originally posted by
MeliPixie
As a kid, did you have an imaginary friend? More than one? I'd love to hear about him or her!
11/01/2011
Quote:
That's so wrong
Originally posted by
Sweet-Justice
I did. But not for long because my dad made fun of me.
11/01/2011
Quote:
I had the same thing! ^_^
Originally posted by
eroticmutt
I dont remember having an imaginary friend, but I did have stuffed animals who all had their own personalities
11/01/2011
Quote:
I thought my friend was imaginary..then others saw him and so I guess..despite the strange teeth and green hair, the dude must be real???!!!
Originally posted by
MeliPixie
As a kid, did you have an imaginary friend? More than one? I'd love to hear about him or her!
11/01/2011
Hmm...I put yes, but I had imaginary friends and then I had people that I saw that I did not create. However, I'm Bipolar and kinda crazy, so my situation is different than most people... The ones I made up were a lot better. X.x
11/06/2011
My imaginary friend wasn't static. It would change all the time. Really, it was more a character for me to talk with in my little imaginary plays and scenes.
11/08/2011
I had an imaginary friend. I was very young when I stopped having one though, I think.
11/08/2011
Quote:
I had a few and honestly in a sence i still have them because sometiems when im all alone here at my house ill talk out loud like theyr still around
Originally posted by
MeliPixie
As a kid, did you have an imaginary friend? More than one? I'd love to hear about him or her!
11/27/2011
I had one named Suzi and to this day my brother calls me Suzi-Q!
12/05/2011
I had one her name was Shonie.
12/05/2011
i never did. but i did have a blanket tht went everywhere with me and i called it nap lol
12/05/2011
I remember pretending to have one because it seemed like a fun idea but I didn't put much mental energy into it. I never actually believed in it or remembered anything about it after, oh, twenty minutes or so of playing.
02/12/2012
I never had one and neither did my kids.
02/19/2012
I don't know if it was mentioned, but you are much more likely to have an imaginary friend before school age, so you might not remember it. However, you are much more likely to have a personified object when you were a kid, like a stuffed bear you named and kept with you AT ALL times. That you ALWAYS remember.
02/19/2012
i dont remember him, but my mom told me about him
02/19/2012
I did. And imaginary pets. I grew out of it sometime in elementary school.
02/26/2012
I had some imaginary pet dogs for a while. :p
02/27/2012
Haha. I had three: Guy-eggo, Ickabob, and Margaret the Hippie.
The weird part is that Guy-eggo stopped being friends with me because I wouldn't stop blaming things on him.
The weird part is that Guy-eggo stopped being friends with me because I wouldn't stop blaming things on him.
04/26/2012
Quote:
Just thought I'd note that this is REALLY cute.
Originally posted by
mandaj
i never did. but i did have a blanket tht went everywhere with me and i called it nap lol
04/26/2012
i had books
04/26/2012
I did not
08/27/2012
Yup...Barbara
08/27/2012
I tried creating a few.
08/28/2012
Yes I'm sure I did have one. Just another one to talk to
08/29/2012
I had plenty...and I still remember their names.
08/29/2012
Quote:
I never had one...my brother had an imaginary parrot named Bob.
Originally posted by
MeliPixie
As a kid, did you have an imaginary friend? More than one? I'd love to hear about him or her!
08/29/2012
I am not sure if I did or not.
08/29/2012
Neither of us had one.
08/29/2012
Quote:
I think that's why I don't remember having one. All my friends did and which made me want one, but I was too busy conjuring up stories in my head.
Originally posted by
MeliPixie
That was my problem. I just couldn't believe. I believe in all sorts of things, like faeries and werewolves and ghosts, but imaginary friends are called that for a reason, in my mind. I could never get past that.
08/29/2012
I had an imaginary cat. It was completely based on my cat at the time. Yeah, I know, why have an imaginary one when I have the same one but real? Well, cats are finicky.
08/29/2012
I don't particularly remember having one, but I've been told by my mother-in-law that my husband had one. Apparently, his name was George.
08/29/2012
i didn't have one
08/29/2012
i had one in Primary school; Milko.
He existed mostly for me to blame things on ;D
He existed mostly for me to blame things on ;D
08/30/2012
I did but I don't remember much about him/her
08/31/2012
I always wanted one because I watched Drop Dead Fred all the time when I was a kid. I wanted him to come be my imaginary friend, or anyone like him. But I never got one. (I also grew up in a complex that had a lot of other kids, so I was never in need of friends.)
09/04/2012
I didn't have one.
09/05/2012
I had, and still have, a very active imagination. I would set booby traps for Boss Hogg from the Dukes of Hazzard and set places at the dinner table for Cinderella. My parents encouraged my creativity and allowed me to explore my whims and such. I was a pretty lucky kid.
09/13/2012
Total posts: 48
Unique posters: 41
