Thoughts for the Week:

Many children have imaginary friends at one time or another. It sometimes makes adults feel uncomfortable when a child turns up with an imaginary friend, partly because this kind of friend can be controlled only by the child, and partly because adults may worry about a child's sense of real and pretend. Imaginary friends have a way of seeming all too real from time to time.

It may be helpful to remember that imaginary friends can play an important role in the lives of children, allowing them to fulfill wishes through their imaginations. Sometimes they help children cope with loneliness by being the friend or sibling who isn't there. Other times, they become the scapegoat who makes messes or gets into trouble when the child doesn't want to face the consequences. Wise adults encourage both the child and the imaginary friend to clean up the mess or set things right again so that children come to take responsibility for the imaginary friend's behavior as well as their own. Imaginary friends usually play a brief role in a child's life. They usually go away as quickly as they arrive. But while they are there, they often provide the companionship and support many children feel they need.