...One girl, now 7, inherited her imaginary friend, "Margarine," from her older brother. Margarine first appeared as a helper on her brother's first, scary day of preschool. The boy talked so convincingly about his little mentor, his mother thought the girl was real -- until she tried to find Margarine's mother to thank her.
Margarine became a part of family lore and later followed the boy's younger sister to school.
Some kids have as many as 13 imaginary friends at one time or another, contrary to the "Calvin and Hobbes" image of a single, faithful make-believe pal.
"Our research suggested it's more of a revolving door," Carlson said. While some pretend friends fade quietly away, others "suffer this horrible demise -- like getting run over," she said.
This kind of pretend play gives young children a chance to mull over the confusing issues of life -- a process that seems to continue in different forms as people mature...
Most kids, sooner or later, come to realize their make-believe buddies are not of this world.
In fact, Carlson said, some kids grew concerned about the researchers' grasp of reality during probing interviews.
"I've had several children sort of pull me aside during the interview and say, 'You know it's pretend, right?' "
