RP265 The Imaginary Friend

 RP265 The Imaginary Friend

When you were little, did you have a slightly strange friend? One that had a funny color and shape or could hide in your pocket? Did you have a friend who was completely... imaginary?

If you did, you' re in the majority. People used to believe that imaginary friends were rare, but more recent research in the United States found that nearly two thirds of seven-year-olds had an imaginary friend at some point. Research in the United Kingdom on a group of 1,800 children showed that 46% of them had an imaginary friend currently or had one in the past, including nine percent of 12-year-olds! Imaginary friends, we have learned, can last into the elementary school years.

While parents might be disturbed to hear their children talking to themselves, imaginary friends don't seem to be harmful at all. In fact, some studies show that having imaginary friends helps children develop verbal and social skills. These social skills can actually help children make more real friends. Imaginary friends help children practice social situations, like standing up to bullies or expressing difficult feelings. They also give children a chance, for once, to tell someone else what to do.

People used to believe that imaginary friends were a sign that something was missing from a child's life. The child must be lacking affection or social interaction, or he or she had lost something important. However, research from the past decade contradicts this theory. It suggests that children with more free time tend to create imaginary friends. While this free time may come as a result of a move or change in routine, this doesn't mean that imaginary friends come from trauma or loss.

It turns out that imaginary friends aren't a red flag at all. In fact, they seem to be very positive influences. Perhaps parents will start hoping their children spend a few years talking to thin air.