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INVISIBLE GUESTS

My sister had an imaginary friend - Pantyhose. Pantyhose came everywhere with us, she had her own chair at the dinner table, her own cup, plate and cutlery, and memorably, we were often yelled at, when we accidentally sat on Pantyhose in the lounge room.

My sister was the middle of five children. When it came to play, she did not fit in with the older two nor did she fit with our younger two brothers: so she invested a great deal of play time with her imaginary friend. She would speak to Pantyhose as she would to another child, let her know what she was doing or what she wanted to do, how she was feeling and even what she was thinking. Interestingly, my sister expected us all to give Pantyhose the same consideration that she did.

Pantyhose was with us for almost a year - until one day she just vanished into thin air and my sister never mention her again. As adults we often reminisce about Pantyhose at family gatherings and have a good laugh with my sister, over her creative imagination. But at the time of her existence, Pantyhose was no laughing matter. She was as real to my sister as other family members.

My parents took it all in their stride ... what else could they do? Pantyhose was a member of the family, and my sister believed her friend deserved the same love and respect that the rest of us received.

Although my parents found the Pantyhose saga amusing, others aren't so light hearted. When an imaginary friend comes to stay, some parents become concerned about their child's emotional well-being, and worry whether their social needs are being adequately met.

Why do some children and not others have imaginary friends? Are they a problem? Does it mean a child is lonely? What should parents do about it?

Imaginary friends, mystical creatures like fairies and even animals are quite common for young children. Based on a sample of 100 children, authors of The Characteristics and Correlates of Fantasy in School Age Children: Imaginary Companions, Impersonation, and Social Understanding, claim that 65 percent of 7 year old children in the US admit to having had a pretend friend.

And although imaginary friends are often adopted by the oldest child or an only child, research suggests that it does not necessarily indicate that the child is lonely.

According to Australian researcher, Dr Paula Bouldin of Deakin University, imaginary friends usually belong to children who are highly creative, and live in rich imaginary worlds.

Working with 74 children between

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