Tea is set for real and imaginary friends.  (Provided photo — Diane Chase)

Lately, my children have been taking a few trips down memory lane. One topic that circles back is their imaginary friends. Not who was their imagined friends, but what. All creatures seemed to roost at our house at one time or another, whether animal, human or mystical beast. My children didn’t have one imaginary friend. They had a posse; each fictional beast came with demands. Sometimes a toy or book character came to life, or a make-believe companion filled the place of a playmate.

At some point, as I packed extra snacks for “the friends,” I wondered if I was the one getting played. Had my kids bought into having an imaginary friend, or were they angling for a second piece of pie? Should I have been worried?

Studies indicate that over 65% of all children under 7 years old have had a made-up companion. A pretend friend can provide some childhood developmental benefits. Though there are no exact results (because we are dealing with imagination), having an imaginary friend can boost creativity and increase problem-solving. It can also help children achieve better coping skills, gain emotional control, and play independently. The reason is simple. The imaginary friend is just an extension of the person and provides a way to grow intellectually while helping the child to learn how to figure out situations and self-regulate.

My kids don’t remember the details of their make-believe buddies. They laugh as we prod each other’s memories, piecing together details of these invented mates.

My children reassure me that they no longer have imaginary friends. (If so, that is an entirely different type of column.) They didn’t blame bad behavior on these make-believe characters. My kids also remember understanding that these imaginary friends weren’t real but fit in the same category as dolls and stuffed animals. Their emotions were genuine, but they still knew what was true. These childhood characters filled the necessary gap at the time. Eventually, my children filled imaginary spaces with genuine relationships and friendships. I hope you fill your house with creativity, even if you have to pack extra snacks for a group of imaginary friends.