Day 121: Day 3

Rather than write a post, I will share what I HAD to write for my daughter's preschool. Oh the agony of thinking about this compared to the liberty of actually writing it.

Pinky and Browny

My daughter has an imaginary friend. Actually, she has two: Pinky and Browny. They are 'long necks' (as in dinosaurs), one for each of her hands. Her pointer fingers are their necks, her other fingers (and thumb) are their legs. She never plays with just one of them; they are always with her together.

I stumbled upon an article about imaginary friends in a parenting magazine at my doctor's office. Because I had missed a Parent Education meeting, it was required of me to read and summarize a couple articles from a parenting magazine to fulfill the licensing requirements for the preschool. For me, this article fit the bill as it is something that I can intimately relate to, not to mention I found it interesting. (I also chose a similar article about imaginary friends off the web to lend an objective perspective to the anecdotal one that first caught my eye.) This is what I learned in words that which I already kind of know by heart:
Imaginary friends help kids sort through life-issues and piece together what they've learned in their first 3 or 4 years of life. (An imaginary friend typically turns up around 3 years of age.) They are your child's companion, their closest ally, their most obedient confidant, and they are always there when your child needs them. They always do what your child wants, they never argue, they are exactly who your child wants them to be. An imaginary friend helps your child feel in control of the world around them and perhaps a little safer when times get tough. (Even if tough means bedtime!) Having an imaginary friend is totally fine, and totally normal. And one day, ONE DAY, your child will grow out of needing them.
As parents, the best thing we can do for our children is support them and their need for their imaginary friend(s). If this means having a tea party with Pinky and Browny every now and then so be it. But, according to both articles, your child's imaginary friends should not be used as scapegoats to bypass rules of your house or to shirk responsibility for things they know they shouldn't do. (As has been the case a time or two with those mischievous long necks.)
As we move further away from the confusion of our recent move from Ottawa and the not so long ago birth of a new baby brother, and into the familiarity of our new home and a new preschool here in Victoria, Pinky and Browny come by less and less often. That's not to say they don't rear their long necks every now and then, but more that they don't seem to be needed as much to keep her company. I suppose this is a good thing, meaning that my little girl is growing up and becoming more confident in herself and the world around her. But, regardless of the reasons why, when the day comes that they are gone, I sure will miss those two.