Does Your Child Have an Imaginary Friend?

Updated on June 20, 2012
B.B. asks from Bedminster, NJ
11 answers

This is just a fun question...does or did your child have an imaginary friend? How old was he/she? What was the friend's name and why do you think he or she existed? My son started talking about "Oopsin" when he was 3 1/2 and now is he almost 4 1/2 and Oopsin is still around! He will make cards for Oopsin, tell me what Oopsin likes and doesn't like (he likes stickers and blueberry flavor in his medicine) and tell me where he lives (this changes, sometimes in a blue house, sometimes in outer space). My son is very creative and sensitive. Would love to hear about your kids and what they are like today if they had an imaginary friend when they were younger.
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C.O.

answers from Minneapolis on

My son had one when he was around 3 and named him Anni (like as Anakin Skywalker). I think he was around 5 when I stopped hearing him talk to or talk about Anni. I think it's just something he outgrew. Sometimes I'll ask him about Anni and he goes "Oh yeah, my imaginary friend!" My son is now 8 and has no effects from it if that's what you're worried about.

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J.B.

answers from Houston on

When I met my wife her daughter was 2 and she had two imaginary friends, Blueie and Greeney (not sure how to spell...). She referenced them often.
She doesn't talk about them anymore. But...... just this year I was informed they were DOGS..... really, silly me. Just assuming they were people, lol.

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A.L.

answers from Atlanta on

Our older one (boy) did have an imaginary friend when he was about 3, before his sister was born--sadly, I can't even remember the name now--must ask my husband, who has a better memory than I do. He's a very bright ten year old who loves to read fantasy books, build planes and spaceships with legos, and does martial arts. Dunno if those activities are related to his imaginary friend, however. Our daughter didn't have one, however she was extremely attached to a doll (Pinkie) who went everywhere with her, so maybe Pinkie filled the roles which an imaginary friend would have. Enjoy the stories!

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3..

answers from Sherman on

yes my daughter did, and what the crazy part was what their names were..yes she had more than one.

my mom died when i was a kid and i never really spoke of her to my kids or showed them pictures, then one day my daughter was talking to someone and i said who?... she said kathy(my moms name) and i said oh she must of heard someone say her name..then we were looking at a old photo album and we came across her picture and my daughter said..oh look you have a picture of my friend kathy!!! i was shocked and started asking her what did kathy say to her and she said we just play and she said kathy watches over her....

now her other friend is a goat names fin?... and he eats likes to eat her barbies clothes....kids!!!

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M.L.

answers from Colorado Springs on

I had imaginary friends when I was a child. My youngest granddaughter has a semi-imaginary friend right now. She has a small, throw-sized pillow with her first initial appliqued (sp?) on it, and it is named, appropriately, K Pillow. K Pillow is her best friend. K Pillow gets hungry, gets sick, gets lonely if she can't go along to places (but doesn't mind staying in the car when the place is reached). So far K Pillow hasn't done mischievous things! Granddaughter has a younger brother and plenty of friends, but she also has a creative imagination, and I'm glad to see her use it.

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T.M.

answers from New York on

Yes, my daughter was 2 1/2 when "LaLa" started coming around. She's an only child so she used her imagination to create someone to play with. She used to push him on the swing, and she'd put him in the shopping cart when we went shopping. She used to walk around with him in the palm of her hand, and she'd put him in her pocket when she needed to use both of her hands for something. It was funny listening her talk to him. She talked to him all of the time. It actually inspired me to write and self-publish a children's picture book about her and her friend's adventures. The book actually won a few literary awards too, which surprised me because I'm not really a writer. I changed the "friend's" name for the book so it wouldn't confuse her. Her friend "LaLa" stuck around until my daugher was, I believe, in First Grade. She'll be 8 in August and just finished second grade. She doesn't really remember much about him . . . but she can still briefly describe him. I've read that kids with imaginary friends are very creative and my daughter definitely is. It's been a lot of fun reading the book to her classes over the years. If anyone here is interested in learning more about the book or if you know anyone whose child has an imaginary friend . . . it would make a great gift. You can either buy it on Amazon or through my website. I'm not sure if I can post a website here . . . so if you're interested please send me a private message. If you order it directly through me, I can sign the book with your child's name. :)

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J.D.

answers from Chico on

Hi, I remember imaginary friends! A little window into their minds.One of my daughters had imaginary friends from 3 to 5ish. She took very good care of them, buckled them in the car, bathed them, tucked them into bed at night and read them stories. That was years ago. At almost 16 now, she highly creative, very social and excels in all academics. She still fondly remembers her imaginary friends though!
Enjoy your little guy~

F.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I don't recall my kids having one but I did when I was little, but I was an only child so I chalk it up to making up my own friends! LOL!

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J.T.

answers from New York on

My daughter (4) has an imaginary little sister, and sometimes an imaginary brother who do not have names. The one imaginary friend she has had for the longest (about 2 years now) is Grape Baby, who is a baby that she takes care of... unless she is too busy and then Mommy gets to hold the baby. :)

The imagination of children is an amazing thing!

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L.B.

answers from San Francisco on

My oldest and my youngest both had imaginary friends. I imagine the two in between didn't need them because they had each other. My oldest had Lion who would sometimes tease him and Tiger who did the bad things (breaking toys) in the house. My youngest had Baby. He would play lots of things with Baby and tattle on Baby when he/she did something bad. When I was young I had an imaginary friend named Michael. I still remember. : )

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K.S.

answers from Binghamton on

Herby. Always had imaginary pets. Think it was related to going thought a divorce

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