When did your children get an imaginary friend?

My youngest is only 2yrs and 9 months and for the past 4 days know he keeps telling someone off forgetting in his way or hurting him when he is playing on his own. My daughter is 5 and still hasn't gone through the imaginary friend stage and my eldest was 6 when he got his and his friend keeps coming and going and he is know 8. I am just wonder if it is normal for a child so young to have an imaginary friend. He is also delaid in all area's of his develop stagers by anything from 6-12 months with his physical development being the worst area he is delayed in. He is under a ped, neurological professor and a neurological surgeon as he has epileptic episodes and a section of his brain is elongated and swollen which is coursing a very small amount but monitorable pressure on his spinal cord.

I am just concerned as I have never heard of child so young having an imaginary friend before. He doesn't like socialis with other people and is so much more happier if he is plays on his own until he asks someone to play with him but I do try my hardest with him to socialis with me, his father and his brother and sister if no one else.

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HI Asthma family.

I can remember my youngest son having an imaginary friend when

he was about 3/4 and he loved to go around the house with his plastic

workmans tools and pretended wit his friend to mend all the pipes to

our central heating.

Not long after he started school it got less and less until his imaginary

friend dissapeard for good.

Can remember he always said its his friends fault making a mess,haha

god that was a good thing to reflect on.

Hes 15 now and laughing as I am posting ,

love Glynis xxxx

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Hi there,

Not so unusual. Granddaughter and her toddler group friends had them at a young age too. Now that the kids are at nursery, the imaginary friends are gradually disappearing.

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Hi, as long as your Son is happy I wouldn't be too bothered, I don't have children of my own but just because your Son doesn't communicate with you at your level yet, doesn't stop him having the ability to have his own little imagination and enjoy being in a happy little place of his own now and again. Who knows you may even be able to use it to both your benefits.

At least you weren't my mum when I was your son's age, my imaginary friend, was an old man who appeared on my dressing table every day at night. After 9 months my parents couldn't stand it no longer and moved out, from that day onwards my ""friend"" disappeared and many years later she did find out that my imaginary friend did exist. Spooky.

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Thank you for the replies. I am satrting ot us the imaginary friend ot my benefit as when he is playing an dtelling his friend off I ask ""What your firend done know?"" and he will have a small conversation with me and show me what his friend did. The only thing I need to stop him doing know is throwing his food and shouting at his friend. I tell him ""That wasn't your friend that was you. I saw you, help mummy pick it up and put it in the food bin."" He will say OK and then say sorry to his friend which is sweet but I have to try my hardest not to laugh. They are playing cars at the moment and all I keep hearing is ""No you don't. I said no you chimp"" I call my Eddie a chimp as he likes making monkey noices and he adores monkeys. The amount of monkey cuddlies he as got is stupid but my mother hasn't got the haert to say no to the kids when they see something and get excited when they see it. Anything that helps him talk is all the best I guess. His speach has also improved over the past few weeks as well so the imaginary friend is doing something positive

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Hi Asthma family, my little granddaughter has had her ""alien"" friends for about 4 years. She is now almost 6 and although they don't play as big a part in her life they are still there and have increased in numbers. I don't think you have anything to worry about, keep well. x