Remember the cartoon about Carlson? For each kid with a propeller it was very real. That's just the parents did not see him. But what to do if your child has an imaginary friend? How to respond?
When there is invisibility?
Around the age of 3 to 6 years, children actively fantasize. They animate a variety of subjects. Invisible friend is considered normal child development visionary. As a general rule to the school, he disappears.
Causes of occurrence:
Development of imagination. Some kids say with toys, others invent an invisible friend. It can come in the form of a man and have a specific name and the image of the animal, if the child wants the dog or cat.
The child is bored. Your baby may be a few friends, or he was just bored, and can you give him a little attention? Then he comes up with a partner on the games.
Frequent punishment. If you frequently scold and punish the kid, he invents a certain John, who can "shove" the blame. In this case, you will hear that this one broke the plate, broken toys and stepped on a cat's tail.
Childhood fears. Kid afraid of monsters in the darkWhile you shrugs off his fears? Then he will seek support from the other invisible. Together not scared.
How to respond?
It is logical for us adults communicate with the air - a sign of mental disorders. We do not know how to respond to the emergence of a "third wheel" in the house.
The most typical mistakes of adults:
- Prohibit to communicate with an invisible friend. Thus you do not decide the question, but the child will cease to share with you the joys and sorrows.
- To say that this is nonsense and no John does not exist. The child begins to think that it is not all right, and closed in itself.
- Begin to imitate the child. Deliberately put a separate plate other, even when the child does not ask himself. You should not do that. If you do not want to hurt the baby can not ask whether against each meal with a child from the same plate when he asks to put two and whether it is possible to transplant John stool in the middle of the kitchen on the couch because he prevents.
Benefit invisible friend
Watching a child's play with the invisible, you can find a lot of interesting things for themselves. Listen to the dialogue. Anyone familiar? Invisible friend can be your good ground for reflection.
When the norm is considered a deviation?
- If your child has an imaginary friend appears older than 7 years without apparent traumatic events. Or friend does not evaporate after this age.
- The child did not play another game.
- He - aggressivein relation to the invisible friend, or that it constantly hurts. Actions with the characters become traumatic for the child.
- He begins to confuse the game with the real world.
-
The child disturbed appetite and sleep.
With such features better take the child to a psychologist.
Imaginary friends in children Modern psychology is not considered a sign of deviation. So, if you joined a walk invisible, John, that's no reason to panic.
You will also be interested to know how to teach a child to cope with their emotions.
