Imaginary friends are good for children

Concerned parents have had their minds put to rest today when researchers at the Institute of Education in London revealed that a child having an imaginary friend has a positive effect.

It is believed that friends made up by children help increase creativity and self-esteem. And help promote confidence and articulation

"Imaginative children will create imaginary friends," said Karen Majors, an educational psychologist who carried out the research. "

Companionship is a big part of it. They can be a way of boosting self-confidence.
The study discovered that girls tend to adopt younger companions, while boys opted for older, more heroic characters. It seems children without siblings, or with a big age gap, were more likely to invent imaginary friends.

Children who were bullied also imagined up friends, but more often than not, make-believe friends were conjured up because a child was refused a much-wanted pet.

Researchers have estimated that as many as 65 per cent of children have had an imaginary companion at some point.

WWW.DAILYMAIL.CO.UK 9TH JULY

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