| If your child interacts with an invisible playmate, | | | | duck. I expected that she might have completely |
| he or she is not alone or crazy. By the age of | | | | forgotten about him, but to my surprise she said, |
| seven more than 60 percent of children have had | | | | "Yes, I still have him. I've been waiting for you to |
| at least one imaginary friend. Although not seen | | | | come back to get him." I thought she was just |
| by grownups, the friend may be personified in a | | | | playing along with me as she pretended to |
| doll or stuffed animal. Some of these friends may | | | | transfer him to me, but things in my life changed |
| reside constantly with your child while others | | | | after that incident. I found that the voice of my |
| simply drop by once in a while for a visit. | | | | internal guidance was turned up a notch. I began |
| Sometimes an imaginary friend gets blamed for | | | | hearing wise and logical advice in my head that led |
| things that the child did. For example, my son's | | | | me to make decisions that were remarkably |
| imaginary friend named Peter got blamed for not | | | | healing for me. Looking back on my imaginary |
| picking up his wet towel and swimsuit after a visit | | | | friend, I now realize that my yellow duck was one |
| to my mom's pool one summer. It was actually | | | | of my spirit guides. |
| my son who didn't pick up his towel and swimsuit. | | | | Some children speak in an unknown language with |
| Peter somehow missed getting in our car when | | | | their imaginary friends. My step-granddaughter had |
| we left Mom's that day. I must have said | | | | an Asian-sounding language that she used before |
| something to discourage my son because when I | | | | she learned to speak English. She called me Ho-Ho, |
| refused to go back and pick up Peter, my son | | | | and while I wasn't sure whether she was equating |
| never mentioned his friend again. If I had it to do | | | | me with Santa, I sensed that she and I had been |
| over, I would have turned around and drove back | | | | together in a past life in which we shared this |
| to Mom's to get my son's friend. When he was | | | | language. |
| about five years old, my son's son, Sidney, had | | | | It's fun to observe a child interacting with an |
| sword battles with a group of playmates he called | | | | imaginary friend. Listen to their conversations. |
| the Onks. | | | | They may be telling you something about |
| Is the invisible playmate contrived in the child's | | | | themselves or working out a problem or stressful |
| mind or is having an imaginary friend a trait of a | | | | situation. Always encourage your child's developing |
| child who is interacting with the spirit realm? I'm | | | | imagination and never discount the possibility that |
| inclined to believe that it is a sign that the child is | | | | your child may be receiving inner guidance that will |
| in touch with his or her inner guidance. | | | | serve him well all his life. |
| When I was a child I had a little yellow duck. My | | | | If your child has an imaginary friend, there is no |
| duck sat next to me at the table, took rides on | | | | reason to be upset. Whether or not your child's |
| my bike, listened to all my secrets, and went | | | | playmate is a spirit guide, it is a natural and |
| everywhere I went. I left the duck in my | | | | positive experience for your child to enjoy these |
| grandmother's lap when I was about five or six | | | | invisible friendships. They give a child confidence |
| years old. I forgot about him until I was 40 years | | | | when in a frightening or unfamiliar situation, such |
| old. When I was going through a very difficult | | | | as the first day of kindergarten. Children try out |
| time in 1999, I dreamed of my little yellow duck. | | | | different roles of authority with their imaginary |
| In the dream, my duck asked me if he could | | | | friend and may become the teacher, mother, |
| come back and I said yes. The next time I saw | | | | father, doctor, or zoo keeper! |
| my grandmother I asked her if she still had my | | | | |