Does your growing child have a friend you can’t see? What do you do when he starts talking to an empty seat? You may get home one evening and find your child talking about a person you’ve never even heard of. Should you panic? Not at all! It’s normal for children to have imaginary friends. This is actually more common for firstborns or solo kids, especially when they have a creative imagination. Imaginary friends usually appear when they engage in free play.

There are three stages to play development among children. First is what people refer to as solitary stage where play is usually done alone. Usually, this occurs between the six months to a year old. During this stage, they simply keep themselves entertained with the toys that they have. If they do have a friend over, they engage in parallel play. This simply means that while they play side by side, they don’t really interact. This, of course, is the next phase. While they do still play alone, they will start to notice the other children. This is where imaginary friends start coming in. The last one is called the associative stage. This is when interaction begins.

There is actually no reason for parents to immediately be alarmed or bothered about the imaginary friends their children would have. After all, kids are imaginative by nature. They manifest this talent by talking to someone they don’t see. Sometimes, these pals are human beings. Other times, they choose to interact with animals. The imaginary friend may also be an occasional visitor or a constant companion. Children tend to enjoy doing all sorts of activities with them. Be it drawing, playing, or reading, they have their invisible friends sitting by their side.

Creative play should actually be encouraged as well. Having an imaginary friend indicates that a child has learned to focus on one activity, develop his ideas, and not be entirely dependent on outside stimulus such as toys. An imaginary friend also allows your child to stimulate his creative side. They may pretend to ride a spaceship, destroy robots, or go to the circus. And flying solo could be very lonely so they opt to bring someone along. The friend usually acts as their confidant when there is no one else to tell their secrets to.

Not everyone will go through this sort of play. Usually, children with siblings around learn to interact with others early on. Nonetheless, don’t panic when one of them starts conversing with the wind. Listen to him when he gets deeply into the made-up scenario, but try not to be too conspicuous. Older children tend to be self-conscious for fear of ridicule. Just be subtle about it and allow yourself to join in the fun as well. Save a seat during mealtime for his friend and play along. Eventually, they will get to realize that there is nothing better than actual interaction. While they are not at that stage yet, relax and provide him with scenarios that he can build on. Pretty soon, he’d look forward to having you as the newest member of the group.