Is this sort of pretend play ok?

Question

My daughters almost two and she treats my hands and feet like they're alive, like pets. It started a while back it the bath I think. I'd stick my toes out of the water and she would talk to them and I'd do a silly voice like they're talking back to her and now, say if I'm in bed, she'll call them "Toe toes! Toe toes! And look for them and speak to them and laughs if I 'make them' jump around or whatever. With my hand, you know how you make shadow creatures, or pretend your hand is a duck quacking? Well that developed into my hand being like that, a little creature that speaks and my D loves it and makes her hand into one too and they kiss, or pretend to eat or whatever. Well....(sorry if this is long!) but recently she has given it a name Kadee, or Codey, something like that, totally of her own doing and I thought is it good to encourage this? Or will it make her over-imaginative/dreamy or the type to have an imaginary friend? Or is it normal and healthy behaviour?

Answer 1

lol cute. She is only 2. Common for this age to pretend like that :)

Answer 2

I remember my sister and I made pets out of each others hands, but we were older.  She just has a great imagination!

Answer 3

Is She Your First Child?

It Sounds Normal And Healthy.

Your Daughter Is Learning The Difference Between What Is a Living Object And What Is Not.

She Is Doing "Reconnaissance" Of A Sort. She Has Learned Living Things Have Names And Is Applying This To What You Have Shown Her Might Be Alive. Your Toes And Feet For Example.

Sooner Or Later She Will Learn That You Have Just Mimicked Living Things And Will Learn The Real Difference Between Living, Fictional ( Your Hands/Toes ;) ) And Non Living Things.

This Is Her Way Of Learning This.  Every Child Learns This In Their Own Way.  Relax.  Give Her A Few Years.

Your Other Query?  Imagination Is The Stuff That Makes Great Thinkers, Writers Etc..  A Dreamer May Have The Stuff Of Art/Music/Poetry Etc..

For A Child, An Imaginary Friend Is Not Necessarily A Bad Thing.

As Long As She Continues To Grow, Learn New Concepts And Properly Cope With The Real World, You Have Nothing To Worry About.

You Will Find Out If Any Of This Is Bad Sooner Or Later, But For Now, Let Her Be A Kid And Enjoy It.

While You're At It, Enjoy It Too ;)

Answer 4

Why don't you buy her a hand puppet.

Answer 5

no I don't think it's totally unnormal for a child her age to be doing that, she's just being imaginative, give it a little time, it's just a phase most likely and she'll find something else that'll grab her imagination someday. I think it sounds kind of cute.

Answer 6

You both sound to have a really good close relationship and she clearly enjoys your company.

She is only 2 - when she gets to playgroup or pre-school she will transfer play and games to her own peers.

Fret not - Enjoy! It won't last long!

Answer 7

It's so totally normal.  My kids see animals and friends in everything!!  My nearly 2 year old carried around a grotty piece of blu tak pretending it was a turtle and kept squirting water on it so it wouldn't die!  I don't think it's even possible to nuture their creativity enough.  My now 4 year old was and still is a total space cadet, but the way she applies her imagination to practical things at this still young age is really amazing.  OK, maybe I'm sick of her hiding under a blanket pretending to be an egg and hatching, but by doing this she can now name all the animals that hatch out of eggs.  It's a great opportunity for them to learn other things that will stick with them - encourage away!!  I think stifling creativity at this age will stifle future curiosity and learning.

Answer 8

Sounds lovely to me. Enjoy the time with her!

Answer 9

When my daughter was three she would cary around this roll of those long popsicles and treat it just like a baby and she's 17 now and just fine. At that age they pretend all SORTS of things. I think it's healthy.

Answer 10

LOL so funny, weird  mabe its like having a imaginary friend>