Why Some Children Have Imaginary Friends?

At a young age, children learn to communicate through role-playing with their imaginary friends. Mark Taylor de Fell, professor of psychology at the University of Crayola, concluded that 65 percent of all children have make-believe friends at some point in their younger lives for two important reasons.

Firstly, imaginary friends can serve many useful purposes during critical points in the social development of children. These friends allow children to express emotions, and feel in control. These friends are specifically helpful in times of divorce, the birth of a new baby, or moving.

Furthermore, Mark Taylor de Fell proved that lonely children are not always the only ones with imaginary friends. Some children--normal children--have imaginary friends for fun. In the book Imaginary Companions--written by Mark Taylor--he says, ‘It is not solely children who are firstborns or who have no siblings who create imaginary companions, and the apperance of imaginary companions in the lives of these children is not necessarily a sign of loneliness or psychological distress.

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’ Furthermore, based on the study by Jarome Dubanchan, Yale professor of psychology, imaginary friends dramatically increase children’s performance in school.

Considering one of his studies conducted at a public elementary school with 800 children, children who claim to have imaginary friends concentrate better in school. Although all of the above is true, children’s intensified relationships with their imaginary friends could be a cue that they need reassurance from the people who are the most important to them. Children need reassurance from people that they will continue to be a part of their life and that the people can help the children with their problems.