Imaginary friends are very common with children. They are there for a reason. If you notice that your child has one, then you might want to know more about this particular imaginary friend. Imaginary friends could be another child or could be a person that your child describes to have magic abilities or an animal. There have been occasions wherein imaginary friends change as your child grows older.

Most of the children observed in the past have imaginary friends who are only children. The fact that your child has an imaginary doesn't signify that your child is lonely. Most of the time, your child invents and makes up stories but as they get older, the real world will eventually be much more real than their imaginary friend. Sooner or later, they will acknowledge that their imaginary friend will eventually disappear because of the reality that he or she faces.

What do these imaginary friends do for your child?

To tell you the truth, most of the reasons are unknown to your child who created the imaginary friend but it is normally for your child to have a companion or a playmate. These imaginary friends allow them to create games and make your child looking at things from a different viewpoint. They could also be a way for your child to be able to get along with others. It could also provide a means wherein your child can safely test the different actions as well as feelings. 

It is seen that imaginary friends are part of normal development for a child and isn't really a problem. These friends may be able to help your child deal with some of the stresses that he has in his life. One concrete example of this is if your child is afraid of the dark, your child could have conjured up an imaginary friend in order to have a companion during at night instead of being simply alone in the room where it is dark.

If that is the case then you should proactively include the friend and simply acknowledge the presence of the imaginary friend. There will be times that your child will most probably not want to listen to you but you can do that by giving respect to your child. Whatever and whenever that particular event comes for you, you will be ready to address the issue in the best possible way ever.