Imaginary friends are part of normal childhood development, but clinicians should assess rigidity, distress, or functional impairment to separate healthy play from underlying concern issues.

We should never stifle the vivid imaginations of our children. But sometimes, it would be nice if they didn't imagine such creepy things!

While on vacation my daughter started talking about an imaginary friend. The name she chose shocked me.Courtesy of Alexandra Meyer. I was enjoying a family vacation when my daughter started playing ...

In Stranger Things season 5, Holly Wheeler's imaginary friend causes concern. (Netflix) After nearly a decade, Netflix hit Stranger Things is drawing to an end with season five – and Mike and Nancy's ...

"Mom/Dad! I'm SOOO bored!" Hearing this can conjure a rolling of the eyes in most parents. Decades ago, playing outside until sunset cured the "I am bored" declaration. Children happily imagined being ...

When I discussed imaginary friends a few years ago, one father shared his experience: "We'll put him to bed and he'll be quiet. When we get back downstairs he'll start talking, normal stuff, about our ...

In recent years, The Sims 4 has added quite a bit of gameplay for child Sims, and it's truly made Sims' childhoods feel meaningful and like they impact their lives in the future. The Adventure Awaits ...

Carla is a writer from Peñuelas, Puerto Rico, now based in Atlanta. She’s an Emory alum with both a BA and MA in English, but more importantly, she’s a Pisces with lots of opinions about video games.

Actor Jay Ellis (right with 'Insecure' star and creator Issa Rae) has penned a new memoir about growing up with Mikey, his imaginary friend. As an only child growing up in a military family, Jay Ellis ...

I was enjoying a family vacation when my daughter started playing with some imaginary friends. I was horrified to learn that she had named one of them 'Instagram' after the social media app. This made ...