Imaginary friend

Children 'see' things we don't. I agree not all are imaginary. Most of us lose the ability to see these things as we get older. Wish I could still see them, I certainly 'hear' them

I used to have an imaginary mouse who lived in the skirting board which had an invisible entrance but I knew where it was, but ironic really as I'm scared of mice ?

Also my eldest son had a "friend" called Bobby, not sure if he was imaginary though, Son was only a toddler at the time, probably about 13 months old and would natter in baby talk to him and often would point up the stairs and say "Bobby up there"

Friends of ours are both hard-boiled scientists and so it came as rather a surprise to them when their son had an imaginary friend. It became even more of a shock when he announced that it was his brother with his "other mummy" and chatted on about his other life, in great detail. Yes, perhaps reincarnation - it was about a life in India, which he had no experience of (nor could have got from books, films, etc) but his Mum wrote it all down and they intend to visit the paritcular city in India one day. Who knows ??

Totally normal for preschoolers.

My kid had an imaginary friend called Albert.

My brother had an imaginary friendly monster named Tree-Eater who lived under my brother's bed.

I must have kept my imaginary friend quiet because my mother denied I had ever had one.

I did: her name was Rita and she lived with her parents and younger sisters and brothers in the wall between my bedroom and the bathroom. My bed was placed against this wall and Rita and I talked for ages at bedtime.

I was three or four at the time and I think Rita disappeared when I was about six, or perhaps when I was five and started school.

My sister, who was three and a half years younger than I had an imaginary friend who was called James. He was about her age.

I remember coming in from the garden and saying there was a boy out there who had hurt himself and was bleeding.
There wasn't anyone there when my mother went outside and she gave me a row for "telling stories". As I went outside again, I heard my great-aunt rebuking my mother for saying I had told a lie. She said that a child of four can imagine things so clearly that she believes they are real. She also believed that children can see ghosts.

After that I kept it to myself if I saw things others didn't.

When I was eight, best friend at school announced that her mother had just had a baby, whose name was Nicholas. I was delighted, since my own baby sister had been born only a few days earlier. We exchanged notes every day about our respective siblings, and my mother was always pleased to have news of the baby boy. My friend lived a few miles from me and we didn’t have a car, and in those days play dates were organised well in advance between parents and our mums would accompany us on the two buses between our houses. When my mum phoned my friend’s mum to invite her daughter, she asked after Nicholas. ‘Who’s Nicholas?’ asked my friend’s mum. I don’t know which of them was the most embarrassed - I certainly was, and no doubt my friend was too.. Nobody ever mentioned Nicholas again.

I never had an imaginary friend myself, thoughI did try. I toyed with the idea of having one called Owlolly when I was around three. She never convinced me she existed but I often planned for the large family of daughters I would have in the future, who would all have French's flower names such as Jonquille, Marguerite, and Coquelicot, and Rose (I was bilingual in those days). My sister had Girl Bus and Boy Train, who had legs instead of wheels. And of course my baby brother was well acquainted with a Thing With Paws, which used to eat chocolate biscuits from the cupboard while our mother was having her afternoon rest.

Imaginary friends are perfectly normal things to have and function as expressions of our children's alter ego - who they would like to be - often the imaginary friend is a mischief-maker who gets away with all sorts of things - something to be learned by the parents of a child who has such a friend - lighten up a little bit - ha ha.

Daughter had imaginary kittens, they even started school with her. Thankfully an enlightened teacher back then.

Neither myself nor any of my sons have had an imaginary friend, but I have thoroughly enjoyed all your stories

I had an imaginary friend called Pixie when I was 2 or 3. He dressed like an elf, green clothes and a red pointed hat, I can still remember him now. He had to have a place at the table etc and we chatted and played together. After my sister was born Pixie decided to go on holiday. I helped him to pack his case and off he went. He never came back.

Only one of my children didn't have an imaginary friend. I've forgotten their names now, except for Bolton. Bolton was around for a long time!

Many of children’s imaginary friends are actually spirit children. Small children have no preconceived ideas and are able to be innocent and open enough to see things adults cannot see.

I had one. She was called Diane Kent and she was a travel agent. We used to find and book holiday from brochures i collected from travel agents. It was all written down - official like.
From time to time I still
think about her.
I was an only child as you have probably worked out. Lol

hi, my daughter is now 47 and remembers hers. Beambeam. This friend was important to her. She had a younger brother and sister so was not lacking company. She grew out of her friend. Can smile at times we almost sat on Beambeam.

I dont remember having an imaginary friend but my younger brother did and his name was Tommy. I would often hear him chattering away to Tommy on the stairs or in his bedroom. When my brother was about 4 and a very cute little boy we went to the wedding of my Dad's cousin. My Mother heard a woman calling out Tommy but thought nothing of it. The woman then came over and asked my Mum if her son was deaf. No was the reply so the lady said I keep calling him but he doesnt respond. Mum said But that's not my sons name its is G..... . Little devil had told everyone his name was Tommy. Tommy went to live elsewhere not long after that. I just asked my husband if he had an imaginary friend when he was young. Yes, his name was Bus apparently and they had lots of adventures but only ever indoors. Bus would never leave the house.

Yes, my DD had a friend called 'cake'. Cake used to get up during the night and eat sultanas. My DD went through a phase of having to have sultanas in everything. My cupboards were all below counter level and easy to get into the food ones.

DH had a penguin who lived in the hall!

I had 'imaginary' friends. I had a sister who I took to school with me (I didn't have a sister only brothers). I did KNOW she was imaginary though and probably didn't convey this imaginary friend to my parents. I think it is quite normal.

However, something happened years later and a friend (who I believe totally) had a little boy of 2 who insisted he had a 'friend' called James. He often talked to James in a way that got my friend really nervous and told him to stop talking about James! This carried on for a couple of years. He said things like 'James is here, pointing to the landing, he is asleep , he wants me to go with him but he just walks through the gate and I can't" The gate was a child gate at top of stairs!

Friend told him to STOP! Was freaking her out! But her son insisted that James wanted him to go out to play etc.

Friend wasn't happy in the house, but couldn't understand why.... She eventually moved. No mention of 'James' again.

When they were passing it one day her son, who had never mentioned this James again and was now like 8, suddenly said..."Wait, James is there. He wants us to go in". Friend sped past but what she did do was start making some enquiries and what she discovered sent shivers down us all. Apparently a previous occupant (not directly before they bought) was called James xxxx and he had been found dead on the landing in that house!

Make what you want? I mean MY parents both died in their house which has recently been sold and I don't think for one minute the new occupiers will have any problems.

Strange thought isn't it? Something Bradfordlass said.... you just never know!

Love this thread! some really funny stories! My eldest son, now aged 40, had an imaginary friend called Peter, who he called, "My boy Peter". When ever anything naughty was done, it was always his boy Peter that done it! When the film Drop Dead Fred came out, it reminded me so much of My Boy Peter .

I had two imaginary friends, called Bulger and Neighbour! I can't remember what age I was but I know there was always a danger that someone would sit on them. My Mum used to lay extra places at the table for them if she was feeling generous.

Oldest grandson, now 12, had a whole family of puppies that lived at the end of our bed. We didn't see him all that often but the puppies were always there when he visited and there were more and more each time. He stopped once they reached about 1,000 puppies!! They were mostly well behaved but would occasionally decide to wander off towards the stairs and had to be retrieved. So strange.

I have never had an imaginary friend but if ever I am unwell I always have a feeling of someòne lightly punching me. It is a comforting feeling and always makes me smile. I feel someone or something is telling me they are with me. Strange because I am nor religious or believe in the supernatural.

Ive had 5 children.im a grandfather of 19 and 4 great grand children.ive lost my eldest daughter and her baby son .none of my offspring have had imagary friends

This thread is going to give me nightmares. Imaginary friends make me think of ghosts

Actually there is a novel ^ The Love Child^ by Edith Olivier, in which a lonely woman's obsession with her imaginary child brings her to life and makes her visible to other people. It dates to the late 1920s but Virago republished in in the 1980s