Everybody needs a friend. We especially needs friends when we're young. But sometimes the right friends don't arrive soon enough, so as placeholders.... we make up friends to fill the void. The imaginary friend, really and truly is everyone's first best friend.
It can be a fascinating look into a child's psyche when you listen to the world they create with imaginary friends and often times, in can be downright scary. Some of these invisible people can be no good. Which is worrisome.
My friend's name was Alfred. He's dead now and he knows why... don't ask.
Redditor u/destinykarmalove wanted to hear from all the parents out there about some of the people their children hang with that they may have issues and possibly.... don't exist in corporeal form by asking.... Parents, what's the creepiest thing you remember about your child and an imaginary friend?Robert
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I heard from my parents that I had an imaginary friend named Robert, apparently he had died in a fire. I don't remember this but my parents told me that I would stare at our fireplace in the winter and say "Turn it off, Robert doesn't like fire." and "Robert said fire burns." I would say some really creepy stuff.
"get rid of her."
My daughter had two imaginary friends when she was about 8. The first one's name was Lucy. Apparently she had asthma and one day we were driving in the car with the windows down. It was summer and the AC wasn't working so it was pretty hot. My daughter was sitting in the front seat and she said Lucy was sitting on the floor between her legs.
All of sudden she's screaming and crying because Lucy had an asthma attack and died because she was so hot.
She got a replacement friend. Her name was Keeshe, and according to my daughter, she was Japanese and Jamaican. Well Keeshe was mean and she used to bite people so my daughter said she had to "get rid of her." Whatever that meant.
Nobody.
Not a parent, but my sister's imaginary friend died in a hunting incident. "Mr. Nobody" was accidentally shot, due to the fact that he was invisible.
My brother and cousins and I all had a shared imaginary friend named Mr. Nobody. He was also invisible.
Woah I called my imaginary friend Mr Nobody when I was a kid.
Everly.
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My brother had an imaginary friend called Everly. Whenever we got into the car my mum also had to put the seat belt on him. Extra ice cream's were bought for him as well as extra breakfast, lunches and dinners dished up. Looking back I think my brother was just a greedy moron.
Meow.
My daughter used to chat away to nothing looking at the end of the bed. Quite some time later (months), she said she missed her friend. Asked her who she was talking about and she says the boy that used to sit and the end of her bed and talk to her.
She also knew the name of my cat who died before she was born and we are sure no one told her.
Chills.
My daughter had started having an imaginary friend named Riley shortly after we moved into an apartment. It was all cute until she told me he died because his mommy was a bad person. A few months later I met an upstairs neighbor who told me a few tenants ago there was a lady who killed her son named Riley. I had chills.
Chuck.
When I was about four, I had an imaginary friend named Chuck. One day I started screaming because I saw my dad run Chuck over with the lawnmower.
About a year later, my brother grabbed some hamburger off the shelf in the supermarket and had me sound out the sticker on the front: GROUND CHUCK.
My brother is ten years older than me. I'm 40now, he's 50, and he's still a fool.
Jack.
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When my daughter was around 4 she had an imaginary friend named Jack that lived under our back porch. He liked to shove sticks down people's throats. I told her that maybe Jack wasn't the nicest person to hang out with!!
All my Pals....
Me as a kid had multiple. The memorable....
- Gogonagi. Gogonagi was a 9 foot long rat. I got the idea from a movie that I have never been able to find again.
- Silly Beaver. Silly Beaver use to jump in my head and I would jump around hitting the side of my head shouting "silly beaver silly beaver get out of my head". This gave my father nightmares.
- Soggy. Soggy lives in a pond. He had a very wide smile.... bc someone made it with a blade. Soggy may actually have been a ghost. AllMyBeets
Hey Grape....
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When I was little I had an imaginary friend named Grape. My parents told me that I believed he lived underneath the floor in my room. I remember him being a dark purple silhouette, but I have no idea if that's a false memory or not.
It returned.....
I didn't remember this until my mother reminded me and then the memories came pouring in....
About 3 or 4 yrs old. I used to see a woman's face appear in the ceiling, or she would appear full-bodied in the strangest places. She had black hair, fair skin, reddest lips, green eyes and wore white.
She would usually only appear in my bedroom in the ceiling or sitting above the curtains. One time i saw her sitting on the bonnet of the car when we were driving... i would always freak out when i saw her.
My mum was kinda superstitious so she told me to ask it to leave me alone. It didn't come back for a while. Then maybe year or so later my mother asked me if i had seen it lately, i decided to see if it would come back so i called out for it. It returned. I told my mother and she told me to ask it what it wanted. I did and it answered it was just watching.. i never saw it again after that, but i like to think my countless near-death experiences have been narrowly avoided thanks to this being.
Not Fred
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When my daughter was eight, My wife went to wake her up for school. Her window was open, so she asked if she was hot last night. She replied:
"No my friend Fred comes over, and he takes pictures with me at night."
Instantly my wife goes into panic mode. She asks her teacher about anyone named Fred in class or any teachers with that name, nope. Therefore, she asks for more details about Fred. My daughter then pulls out all the letters he's written her. Well, the letters are in her handwriting, so you could easily tell he was fake.
Ohthankgod crisis averted.
gabba....
When i was little i had an imaginary friend named abba gabba. abba gabba was a fish boy who used to be a fish before his owner dropped his tank and killed him. I don't remember much about abba gabba, but i do remember that he had these weird sorta sunken black eyes and red and blue skin, along with long gills extending down about fifteen-ish feet off of his face, and had kinda sharp teeth and a long blue tongue. and for some reason he liked finding curly hair because his owner had it before he turned six.
Coincidentally, six was abba gabba's favorite number. i told my dad about abba gabba one day and he went all pale. apparently my dad had a fish named abba gabba that died when he dropped his tank on his eighth birthday. my dad also had curly hair up until he was six. freaks me out to think about it now.
Effie.
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I have a funny, not a creepy, imaginary friend story. For years my son had an imaginary friend name Effie. Effie was a robot with a tail.
When he was probably 4 or so, he told us that Effie's mom had come for a visit. When I asked him what Effie's mom's name was, he thought for a minute, and responded matter-of-factly, "Mother Ef".
I nearly died of laughter. He had no idea that mother ef had actual meaning, to him it was a clever name he thought up all his own.
I am from Eastern Europe....
I wonder if this is some sort of cultural phenomenon. I am from Eastern Europe, and I don't recall kids having imaginary friends, or concepts like this. I came across this concept in American films.
Eastern European who hasn't had any imaginary friends or known anyone who did. However I remember reading a bunch of stories about children's imaginary friends in a local mommy forum There was one funny story about a lady who had to drive all the way back to the store after shopping because her daughter forgot her pack of imaginary friends in the parking lot and was inconsolable lol.
Evicted Gale....
I have told this story before but the creepiest thing about my son's imaginary friend was that he was so... lame. My son said he had a triangle as a head and square as a body and lived behind one of our chairs in "his apartment".
His name was Gale and he always had problems at work and a boring job.
Eventually he got married and had to work more because of his wife. They are eventually had three or four imaginary children and still lived lived in the tiny imaginary apartment. Gale kept his imaginary lame job and had to deal with his wife and kids.
I felt bad for the guy.
Kenya Lives....
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My kid had an imaginary friend named Kenya. She was a pretty great imaginary friend. One day, my daughter casually mentioned that Kenya is dead and likes to visit her.
Dark Lady...
My son used to start screaming at night about a lady with dark curly hair in his room, he was about 4. He said she wanted to tickle him and kept telling him to relax. We assumed it was a recurring nightmare and brushed it off but then he started telling me he couldn't go in the living room because she came out of the wall there during the day. It really started impacting our everyday life.
We even asked a therapist about dealing with it but it still continued. A month or so later we moved (unrelated) and it stopped. I asked him about it casually so I wouldn't freak him out and he said she was sitting on the floor in the hall outside our apartment door. She had asked him if she could come in and he said no. No more episodes after that. I don't believe in the supernatural but that creeped me right out.
Sacos and Pacos.....
I had 2 imaginary friends. Sacos and pacos. They were a blue square and a yellow triangle. Then one day someone called our house asking for Pacos. It was just a wrong number for a Paco but my dad busted out laughing thinking it was a prank call.
In the Shed....
My daughter and I were in the shed one day, she was about 4 at the time. We were just chatting etc. when I notice her looking over my shoulder, she looks back at me and says" daddy, who is the man standing behind you?" I look around quickly thinking I left the door open but it was shut. Forget me, sent a massive chill down my spine! Not sure what she could see, but whatever it was, I couldn't see it.
Bob.
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My daughter had a man who she called "ghost bob." She said he hung out in the corner of her room.
My grandfather was named Robert, who I called Grandpa Bob. I was very close to him and he died of lung cancer when I was 13.
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Not all pet owners have the same relationship with their pets.
While anyone who decides to become a pet owner, or pet parent as some say, love their pets equally, some never ever let them leave their side.
Taking their pet with them to work, running errands, even on vacations.
Many pet parents even allow their pets to share their bed with them when going to sleep.
For others though, this is where a line is finally drawn.
Redditor Piggythelavasurfer was curious to hear whether pet owners allowed their pets to share their bed with them, as well as the reasons why they do/don't, leading them to ask:
"Do you let your pet sleep in your bed? Why/why not?"
The Tiny Issue Of Water...
"Absolutely not."
"I have fish."- Senior-Meal3649
Everyone Gets Lonely Eventually...
"I adopted an eleven year old cat the day before Halloween."
"She has mostly lived in my closet since I got her, and she hasn’t been too interested in coming out."
"Last night, she came out of my closet and jumped up on my bed, and crawled under my covers and curled up by my feet to sleep."
"I was so happy!"- YellowBeastJeep
The Comforting Reminder That You're Not Alone...
"I recently lost my Greyhound but I used to let him sleep on my bed with me."
"The company was nice and he was no trouble to have on my bed."- HoodedMenace3
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What Do You Mean Allow?
"I have no choice."
"She is a cat, cats do whatever they want."- Small_cat1412
"He lets me sleep in my bed."- Poorly-Drawn-Beagle
Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
"I carry my old boy upstairs to bed every night."- worst_in_show
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Who Needs An Alarm Clock?
"I let my two cats sleep with me."
"They're so full of love and just want cuddles all the time."
"And so do I."
"We've all developed a lil routine."
"Get to bed, oldest sleeps on my feet to keep them warm, youngest lies in my arm while I lie on my side (she the little spoon), then when I snooze my alarm for work in the morning the youngest paws at my face and meeps loudly to wake me up."- GhostofaFlea_
Whose Bed Is It Anyway?
"Yes."
"They're also kind enough to let me squeeze into whatever space they've left for me."
"Although I do get a few dirty looks off them."- Therealkaylor
"I found this tiny kitten screaming her head off under a car."
"Would not come out."
"Got some food and some water in dishes."
"I stood by the tire so she couldn't see my feet."
"She got curious about the food and water and started gobbling it down."
"I thought she would bolt when I squatted down."
"She was too busy eating."
"I grabbed her by the nape of the neck and all four legs went straight out and she tried to scratch me to death."
"I got her in the door and tossed her toward the couch."
"She ricocheted off the couch as if she was a ping pong off a table and I lost sight of her."
"I put out food and water and a sandbox and did not see that kitten for three days."
"On the third day, I came home and she was on my bed pillow."
"I thought she would bolt when I came near, but she didn't."
"I wanted to sleep so I tried to scoot her little butt off my pillow."
"She would not go."
"I put my head down to sleep and that is the way it was from then on."
"She ran the roost."- Logical_Cherry_7588
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Sleeping Is A Prerequisite...
"No, he's a cat and he cannot keep still during the night."
"He walks across the headboard, opens the closet doors, jumps into the windows and rustles the blinds, etc."
"If he would sleep he could stay, but alas, he's a ramblin' man."- Spong_Durnflungle
Saying No Just Isn't An Option...
"'Let'."
"Lol."
"It's a cat's world and I'm happy to be on her good side."- milaren
Felines Only!
"The cat does, the dog doesn't and the horse certainly does not either."- Xcrowzz
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Is That My Hair On That Pillow?
"My dog is perfect."
"She comes up, cuddles til we start to fall asleep, then gets down to sleep on her bed so she doesn't get too hot."
"Jumps back up in the early morning for wake up cuddles."
"The hair everywhere is the only downside but she is so cozy, what can you do."- HoodieWinchester
It is easy to understand how some people are able to fall asleep more easily knowing their friend and protector is there, in bed, with them.
Though we can't blame others who don't want to run the risk of being scratched or bitten in the middle of the night either...
The old wives' tales.
They are the stories of legend.
I think we all need a big DEEP Google dive though.
Where did they originate?
WHO ARE THE OLD WIVES!
You don't hear about them as much anymore.
It's like science and logic are suddenly a thing.
But they sure are a good way to keep your kids and their behavior in line.
Redditor the_spring_goddess wanted to discuss the tall tales we've all been fed through life, so they asked:
"What is an old wives tale that people still believe?"
"Wait an hour to swim after eating."
What a crock!
So many summer hours wasted.
I want revenge for that one.
Say Nothing
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"An undercover cop has to tell you he's a cop if you ask him."
LonelyMail5115
"Pretty much most advice when it comes to cops are old wives tales. I’m not even a cop but most of the advice you hear is pretty off."
I_AM_AN_A**HOLE_AMA
Say Something
"That you have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing."
Severe_Airport1426
"I really think this one is important and should be the top regardless. As it’s a piece of advice that needs to be relearned and the only way to do that is through awareness."
crappycurtains
"This used to be true. I think they changed it after some guy named Brandon went missing back in the '80s or '70s. You used to have to wait 24 hours if the missing person was an adult because they had 'a right to be missing' and then everyone realized that was stupid and stopped doing it."
AlbinoShavedGorilla
Body Temps
"That drinking ice cold water after eating oily foods will solidify the oil and permanently remain in your body. I informed my coworker that if your body temperature ever reached that point, you’d have bigger problems than weight gain."
chriseo22
"Oh, I have a cousin who 100% believed this. One of those guys who believed every early 2000s internet rumor and old wives tale. One night I chugged a big glass of ice water after dinner and he started freaking out and saying my guts were gonna harden."
"I sarcastically told him to drive me to the hospital if that happened. Obviously, nothing happened and the next morning I said something like 'Thanks for being on standby in case my guts filled with hardened oil.' He just walked off muttering under his breath."
apocalypticradish
Arms Down
"When I was pregnant, I was told by young and old alike that I should NOT raise my arms above my head or exert myself in such a manner because it could cause cord strangulation to my unborn sons and daughters."
Fatmouse84
10 Years Actually
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"Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 7 years."
"I remember accidentally swallowing a piece of gum when I was a kid in like 1995 and just accepting my fate like welp, gonna have this in my stomach til high school I guess."
Gecko-911
I was so afraid to sallow my gum when I was young.
This tale is haunting.
High/Low
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"You can tell the sex of the baby by how you carry."
LeastFormal9366
"Pregnancy certainly wins awards for the most old wives tales. So much absolute BS was repeated to us by everyone we talked to."
IllIIIlIllIlIIlIllI
The Cursed
"If you’re a woman and you wear opal jewelry but opal is not your birthstone (October), you’ll never be able to have children, or will be widowed, or just generally have bad luck or something. You can counteract this by having a diamond in the same piece of jewelry as the opal, though."
"I have a nice opal ring that my parents gave me years ago, and I’ve had other women give me this 'advice' unprompted more than once when I’ve worn it. I have absolutely no idea where it started, but I’m pretty sure this little chunk of silicate rock has no concept of what month I was born in, let alone of how my reproductive organs work."
SmoreOfBabylon
Stay In
"Going outside with wet hair will make you get pneumonia. Or an earache. Or maybe arthritis. Depends on which old wife you listen to."
"Jokes on them - I haven't blow-dried my hair in decades and usually leave the house with wet hair in the morning. On winter mornings, the tips of my hair get frozen. No ear infections or pneumonia or arthritis yet."
worldbound0514
Dreams and Facts
"You never make anyone up in your dreams you've seen everyone in your dreams somewhere else before and never make anyone up entirely."
"How would you possibly prove that to be true? My partner adamantly believes this and tells me this 'fact' whenever I have a dream about someone I've never met before."
mattshonestreddit
"My late wife used to tell me that before she met me she would have dreams of standing at an alter on her wedding day but could never see the guy's face, no matter how hard she tried. After meeting me the face was filled in with mine. Don't know if it's true but one of those things I like thinking of every now and then when I miss her."
Darthdemented
Cracked
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"Some people still believe cracking knuckles causes arthritis."
Choice-Grapefruit-44
"There's a doctor (Donald Unger) that cracked his knuckles a couple of times a day for 60 years, but only on one hand, just to prove it. Both hands remained exactly the same."
MacyTmcterry
I love my knuckles.
Do you have any tall tales to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.