Imaginary Friends

It seems that every morning, when reading the news, I come across an article that really makes me stop and think. This morning, it was one from the Daily Mail about children having imaginary friends. In the article, the author talks about how her son has many imaginary friends, including various animals and a 6ft friend who lived on top of the wardrobe but was sent to prison for arson. The article goes on to say that having imaginary friends is far from a bad thing for children. In fact, a study found that children who do are less likely to be shy, as well as being more confident, creative and articulate. It made me think back to when I was a child, and the various imaginary friends that I had. They were all animals, and ranged from a mouse to a dog, and even an owl. I’ve always believed that an active imagination is a wonderful thing for children to have, and should be encouraged. For example, why not ask your child to write a story about themselves and their friend? Or, you could get some children’s art supplies and spend an afternoon drawing and painting pictures of them together. This could also have positive effects on their school work, too. Far from being embarrassed or worried, imaginary friends really are something to be cherished. After all, who knows where your child’s imagination could take them in adult life? Do any of your children have imaginary friends? Tell us about them in the comments below, or over on our Facebook or Twitter pages! Should you worry if your child has an imaginary friend in the towel cupboard? – Daily Mail