Your child sits in his room alone and pretends to play with his imaginary friend, or picks up the phone and talks to his imaginary friend and arranges a meeting with him. This scene may seem worrying or warning of the presence of something wrong, but children forming imaginary friendships is very normal and nothing to worry about.
Creating imaginary companions is common among young people, and they can be of any age, gender, or type. This imagination brings many benefits to the child, develops his mental and social abilities, and also helps him overcome many difficulties.
Stephanie Carlson, a professor of psychology at the University of Washington, says that children having an imaginary companion is common, and a study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington and Oregon concluded that 65% of children have invented imaginary friends by the age of 7.
Marjorie Taylor, a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon in the United States, explained that children may not stick to the same imaginary friend throughout childhood, as it is a continuous and changing process.
A study conducted by Johns Hopkins University revealed that the first children in the family or the only children are more likely than others to make imaginary friends for themselves.
The University of Washington study also found some other interesting points, including that not all imaginary companions were friendly, as some children made friends whose behavior was out of control, and some of whom were a source of annoyance to the children themselves.
It also found that 57% of the children made imaginary human companions, and 41% of them imagined animal friends, while one of the children made a human friend who was able to transform himself into any animal the child wanted.
What are the reasons?
Children making imaginary friends are due to several reasons, including:
- Make a friend to share toys with.
- Trying to learn problem-solving skills.
- Explore their ideals.
- Overcoming loneliness
