Imaginary Friends For Kids Are Fine And May Be Helpful So Long As They Aren't Evil

Source: The Verge.

Lately, I've been writing a lot.  Fiction.  I start something and don't finish it.  Usually, it's a problem or issue I need to deal with and my characters have different perspectives on it.  It's helpful in a way. And then I read this today.  A study has shown that it's good in some instances for a child to have an imaginary friend.

It helps with their complex thinking and problem solving skills.  Later on as they grown older, oh, about seven or so, these friends become just private thoughts in their head.

I definitely can see this being a good thing.  A friend of mine who's daughter had all sort of imaginary friends, some of them kinda freaked me out, is how a very precocious and brilliant little girl.  And another child I know seems to develop a close relationship with his stuffed animals and has learned to deal with certain issues at home in a productive and constructive manner.

The study involved nearly 150 children. And you can read more at the link above. But the results did not surprise me at all.

Of course, you want to monitor this situation if your child has an imaginary friend. You still want them to be able to develop real relations with other real kids as well. And also, you want to make sure the imaginary friend isn't some thousand year old demonic force hell bent on using your child to further its devilish aims.