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My daughter Tasha has a new friend. Emily is her name. Everywhere she goes; Emily is with her. When she is eating; Emily is right besides her encouraging her on, but Emily does not partake in the meal.
When she is bathing Emily is also there. Emily is her new confidant, best friend, critique, diehard fan, mentor, consultant — she is everything depending on the circumstance.
To me, Emily is an asset to my daughter and I think she adds significant value to her life.
She gives her good company, good counsel and fills a huge void in her life. But the biggest problem with this character called Emily is that she is imaginary.
There is no such person in real life. Before I discovered that she was non-existent, I was in the dark whenever we made conversation.
“Emily said I wear the red dress because, I look more beautiful, Emily said meat is bad for your health?” I never knew who this girl was.
But on day three since she was brought onto the picture, I noticed something strange.
My daughter was conversing with an imaginary creature in an intense conversation. “Why are you talking animatedly to yourself?”
I asked her.
Her defense: “I am talking to Emily.”
I was concerned. Questions flooded my mind. Is this a sign that she needs a sibling? Is she mentally disturbed? Perhaps lonely?
Have I not fulfilled my role as a parent? Is my child socially maladjusted? Should I play along or should I kill this Emily?
A friend who is a seasoned parent told me to relax. There is no cause for alarm.
Apparently an imaginary friend is nothing more than the product of a curious and creative mind.
Actually research shows that kids who have active imaginations tend to develop into curious and creative adults. And better still kids who have such fictional friends are less shy and are more engaging.
Another good side is that imaginary friends can also help children cope with fears, explore ideas, or gain a sense of competence through learning from or taking care of the imaginary friend.
With such myriad benefits, my good pal encouraged me to play along and enjoy the ride while it lasts. So there is no killing Emily.
Photo: petshopboxstudio.com
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