Imaginary Friends: A Child’s Life Mentor

Have you ever hard trouble coping with the real world? Were there any events or situations that came unexpected, and you didn’t know what to do? When these situations come up, it’s normal that you talk to someone else – a friend, sibling, your parents – to get advice and a helping hand. Children often face just as confusing situations, but they are not at the age to reach out to their peers for help.

This is where imaginary friends come into the picture. In an article from Today’s Parent, registered psychologist Kimberly Eckert stated that, “An imaginary friend can also be used as a form of self-soothing during a big transition, such as adjusting to a new home or sibling.” When children come upon a new change, maybe an obstacle, sometimes they aren’t sure how to react. I think this quote really stood out to me as I never really knew imaginary friends can help children in this sense. Parents have a hard time understanding how their child feels since children haven’t learned to properly express their feelings. In an imaginary world, however, the child is in charge over what happens, and they can think and do nearly anything. Their imaginary friend will automatically understand how they feel.

This is an alternative way for children to learn how to handle new experiences. If they are told that they will be getting a new sibling, they can experience how life would be by creating an imaginary younger sibling, or pretending a doll is a real baby. In this imaginary world, they learn what they should do and how to act in new situations.

Children are growing up with the help of their imaginary friends. They are there to help children adjust to the real world, help them slowly get used to new things in their own way. Once this job is done, imaginary friends usually go away, as told by Cari Romm on The Cut. She uses the imaginary friend Bing Bong from the animation Inside Out as an example. The pink furry elephant is hidden deep inside its creator’s mind, hoping to come out again, but eventually disappears. Romm describes this as imaginary friends disappearing completely when they are no longer needed. This was surprising to me as I didn’t understand how imaginary friends end up disappearing from a child’s life. I don’t even remember when or why my own imaginary friend disappeared, but I understand now.

Bing Bong was created for whatever reason Riley needed him for, and once that need was completed, he disappeared. I created my imaginary friend because I had trouble speaking to others, and I guess it disappeared after I made more friends. Most imaginary friends are there for a reason, whether it is to help kids become better speakers, to enhance their creativeness, or to help them slowly slide into the real world. Imaginary friends aren’t just pretend play, but a child’s life mentor.