It is thought that between 30 and 65 per cent of children have their own 'Binker' or imaginary friend at some stage in their childhood. This friend might be a magical person or an animal, and he may often be quite naughty, especially if the child is usually well-behaved. Imaginary friends get up to all kinds of fun and mischief, always seem to get the blame, but are never there to apologise.
For the majority of children, this friend disappears by the age of seven or eight, and very rarely does it cause any problem. While psychologists in the past were sometimes concerned about the reason for their existence, and some parents still are, we now know that such friends are a normal part of child development and, according to recent research, they may simply be a sign of a child who has a very rich imagination.
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