Imaginary friends is a common concern of parents. Is it a sign that your kid has mental problems? Does it mean that you don’t devote enough attention to your child? Does an imaginary friend mean that it is difficult for kid to make friends with other children? As soon as the presence of an imaginary friend is revealed, many parents take their kids to shrinks, fearing that their child is slowly developing some mental illness. So, let’s find out why kids have imaginary friends and whether you should worry about it. Thanks to kind girls (and great brides, too) from https://j4l.com/women.love for helping us with this article.

How Common are Imaginary Friends?

Before we move on to the reasons behind the appearance of imaginary friends and whether you should worry about it, let’s figure out how rare or common the issue is. While you may think it’s something that occurs rarely, the statistics would give you an opposite statement. It turns out that imaginary friends are quite common for kids of preschool age and beyond. According to the study conducted by the University of Oregon in 2004, at least 65% of children of preschool age develop imaginary friends. Probably it already indicates that you have no point to worry, as claiming that 65% of children are insane would be the most inaccurate statement that you’ve ever heard. Thinking that 65% of children are left without parents’ attention is equally insane. Thus, we can’t blame the lack of attention on the appearance of imaginary friends. So, why do kids have imaginary friends?

Why Do Kids Have Imaginary Friends?

Now, finally we will reveal why children have imaginary friends. According to many studies, the main reason behind the appearance of imaginary friends is imaginative games. Some kids prefer playing with toys, while others have the need to create an imaginary friend to engage into games. Of course, certain kids create an imaginary friend because they are bored or lonely, but that’s rarely a case. Another common reason behind an imaginary friend, is a kid’s projection of the future-self. They basically talk to imaginative more adult version of themselves, to talk through and understand certain issues that bother them. Another reason for the appearance of an imaginary friend is moving to another town, or birth of a sibling. So, basically an imaginary friend as a psychological help out of nowhere.

Should You Worry?

There is no need to worry, as imaginary friends are part of normal childhood development. You would actually do more harm trying to convince your kid that his or her imaginary friend doesn’t exist. Kids are not stupid, and they actually now that their imaginary friends are not real. Children are quite good in separating real life from fantasy life, and they know that their imaginary friends are nothing more than a part of the pretend play. Another reason why you don't need to worry about the presence of the imaginary friends is that they usually disappear by the time the kid goes to school. So, there is no need to get to nervous. You should take your kid to a shrink only if his or her imaginary friend hadn’t disappeared by the age of fifteen.

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