My Daughter Is Seeing a person...I Don't See.

Hi!!
I believe that this is a wonderful thing!!! I also have seen many things that no one has seen! So has my daughter. She was lucky to see my grandfather after he had pasted and I believe I was too upset to see him! But children have a way in that we just don't have all the time! There is a wonderful show on A & E
about Psychic kids!

www.aetv.com
It has a lot of info on there!
Good luck!!!
I wouldn't chalk it up to imaginary friends! I think that it is 2 different things!

My son did something similar when he was 2, at my grandmother's funeral.

What to do depends on what you believe.

If you believe in spirits, I would suggest reading a book by Sylvia Browne called Psychic Children.

If not, then I would just let it go. Chances are it won't happen much more as kids tend to outgrow it.

I just watched a segment of Larry King Live regarding this very same subject. There were child guests that had all seen seemingly "invisible" people. The show was dedicated to understanding children who see ghosts, or the departed. In essence, they see souls.

Children are sensitive to things adults have since clouded with their "humanity". Perhaps you can google the show and find more information on the subject. It's a special gift of awareness. I oftentimes wish to tap into it . . .

I really don't even want to reply to this becuase what I have to say will likely offend many. I'm very sorry for that and its not my intetion, but i feel I must express my knowlege on the subject. You say you are not interested in the religeous aspect, what if the religious aspect is truth? Are you closed to truth?
You may not be a believer in inspired scriptue, so I don't expect it to mean anything to you that the bible forbids necromancy (speaking to dead people). That doesn't mean people don't see spirits. Are spirits dead people? Likley not as scripture states, "the dead know not anything".

My father was pulled unconscious from the flames of a burning truck as a teenager. The bearded man who pulled him out was never to be seen again. My family believes it was an angel. A friend of my mother confessed that she occassionally was woken by a spirit who strangled her in the night. My mother taught her how to address evil spirits in the name of Jesus Christ and it never came back.

So don't get me wrong, I believe in spirits, but I do not belive that spirits are deceased people. It seems everywhere I turn, I hear sound minded people talk of belief in spirits of dead people and a 6th sense. If some good could come out of communicating with the dead, esspecially our dead loved ones, why would God forbid it? Probably because these are not our dead relatives, but evil spirits impersonating and decieving.

As for your daughter, my guess is its her imagination. As for the responses you are getting about the notion of "nice spirits", I just wanted to provide another possibility- one based on sound doctrine.

Giving her the respect and validity of asking questions about details without judging was perfect. It could be as simple as she's got an imaginary friend she's not willing to admit is imaginary or she could really be seeing a presence in your house. Your answer to her saying she didn't want this lady in her house was spot on, we use it too-if you don't want it in the house ask it to leave. Works for everything from "monsters under the bed" to I think someone's in the house.
I know that since I was very little I always had feelings like there was someone else in the room even when "there wasn't", as I got older I was able to make out more details of these people and have even had some of them identifited later on. I have even met a couple of them in real life years later. After meeting my husband and dating him for a while and seeing childhood pictures his parents would show me I realized that a person I'd seen on a regular basis was in fact him. I had journaled some of it and told great details to my cousin who used to live with us at the time and it was a match, down to the English accent he later lost from being in the states so long but had at the time I was seeing him. Both my sons are the same way, drives my husband crazy LOL
To this day I am certain there is a male Native American spirit living around my parents house. We moved in when I was just about to turn 16, I am now nearing 38 and my parents still live there. My M. has now seen him as well.
I am not Christian. I do believe that we're all energy connected in some way. I do not believe that when we die we go to heaven but something's got to happen to the energies of our consiousness when we die. I believe that they can manifest themselves as "people" to those who are attuned to it and open to it, children especially because they are too little to "know better" and shut everything out. I also believe your conciousness can "wander" in a ghost like manner-the old term "astral projection".
Just keep giving her validity without judgement, maybe journal what she tells you to see if later on it matches anyone as an interesting scientific experiment.
If it is an imaginary friend she still needs to not feel like she's silly for having one so giving it validity helps there still.

My response has nothing to do with religion but rather spirituality and awareness; I am not some kind of self-proclaimed New Age nut but I do believe that your daughter is really seeing a person and that person is probably somebody close to your family who loves her very much. I truly believe with all my heart that our sweet, innocent children have the ability to transcend this world and see what we cannot because we as adults have established barriers such as our pre-conceived notions of right and wrong, real and imaginary, and good and evil. My 15 month old son consistently looks at our closet door and has conversations with someone we obviously cannot see. Whoever is there can make my son smile, laugh, and talk a whole conversation of gibberish for extended periods of time; sometimes I even have to tell my son to say "good night" because it's time to go to sleep and they can visit later and it works! It's been said that children have a direct link to God and that they have the answers to all of life's questions but that they lose those answers as they grow and their minds become polluted and prejudiced by the mindsets of their parents...kind of sad, huh? Anyway, please don't discourage your daughter from sharing her "visions" with you. If she truly has the ability to see someone then she has a very special gift that she should never feel ashamed of and if it is only her imagination than encourage the game and play with her; there is never any harm done when we play with our kids. Sadly, our children will usually outgrow their imaginations, too. I will encourage my son with his visionary conversations for as long as I can because his childhood is precious to me and it will be over before you know it. Good luck to you and your daughter and God bless you both!

I was Googling "Indigo Children" as some of the posters suggested... but according to this article, this child would be a Crystal Child as Indigo Children are a bit older...

http://www.thecrystalchildren.com/crystal.html

I suspect that we are all born with abilities that do not get cultivated simply because our parents do not have the tools with which to teach us. Human beings have an amazing brain capacity and incredible potential, but mostly we each learn whatever it takes to survive in our particular society at our particular time of life -- sadly, our current bar is not set very high. I hope each of us reaches a little higher, and a little wider for our children.

I've never experienced this before, but would react just as you did and calmly talk to her about what she is seeing. Like it or not, this is probably someone from the other side who is trying to reach you, or just look over you...which has everything to do with religion. Do you plan on talking to her about God one day, because now would be a good time. At least let her make up her own mind what to believe, whether or not you are a believer. She should at least have the option to be fortunate enough to have Jesus in her life.

My 2 1/2 year old son daily finds very large, bright orange dragons and dinosaurs in the house, has to put them on leashes and walk them to the door to be put outside...seriously, puts a leash on them, collar and all, sometimes feeds/waters them, and then shakes his finger at them telling them that "dinosaurs don't belong in the house," etc.

This is her imagination...it is normal for this age

At 2 your daughter is on the verge of discovering imaginative play, which could explain her "sitings."

Another practical thing to consider is that window glass can be reflective depending on the background and the angle of the light hitting it and passing through it. Because of the way light waves bounce and collide, your daughter might be catching a passing reflection in the glass that you don't see because you're looking at the glass from a different angle. Also, neurologically her visual interpretation of images is not yet fully developed, so she might not even be seeing a whole person reflected in the glass --only a fleeting image of something passing by that her brain fills in with something familiar, in this case, a woman. (After all, who is more familiar to her than her own Mama?)

Metaphysics is great for intellectual stimulation, but real physics can usually explain phenomena far more accurately!

I'm an atheist (and married to one as well!!), so I don't believe in all of that supernatural mumbo-jumbo. I think your response was a really good one. When I was a kid, I used to think I saw some silly things but they were all just part of my growing imagination.

Good luck and take care.

When I was a little older than your daughter I had an imaginary friend called Ghost. He would sit next to me in an empty seat when my M. and I would ride on the subway in Germany, and when someone would sit down where Ghost was sitting, I would get very upset that the person could not see him. I was convinced he was real and that I could see him.

My brother had an imaginary baby when he was around the same age. We are both normal adults now that do not see any imaginary friends any more. LOL

It sounds to me like this woman is part of your daughter's imagination. I think the best you can do it support her. Do not tell her she is imaginging her, just play along. Tell her you cannot see her but that you believe she can see her and that she should tell you about her, what she is wearing, doing etc.

I think that it's possible that younger children can see things we adults don't see because their minds are much more open to things of that nature. I recall my little sister at the age of 3 seeing people we didn't see and having very vivid details into the lives of those people including how they died. I could spook you out with all the stuff and the unexplainable things I witnessed and I was 8 but I scare the heck out of myself just thinking about it...so I leave it at the thought that anything is possible. If in fact there is something supernatural I wouldn't worry about it unless your daughter is afraid. In that instance I would have her tell the person she sees that she is scared and doesn't want them to scare her...(again if supernatural is possible) a neutral spirit wouldn't want to scare her and would stop appearing. Honestly, I don't know if there is in fact things of this nature but I do think it's possible just like I think the existence of a god is possible.

Well she is seeing the spirit of a women, young kids do this often, it could be a relative, your M. husbands M. ,,, its not uncommon. If both are still living then assuming its somebody else, have you noticed any colds spots in the house, lights dim for no reason, any electric applinences going off or off by them selfs, any animals in the house barking at a wall or in mid air, same with a cat.. I have studied the paranormal for 12 yrs, although I do not reccomend her talking to it if you do not know who it is, try to ignore it for a bit, see if it trys to show its self to you . Do not be afraid it won't hurt you or the baby. Now heres the hard part, does your husband believe in ghosts ?

Let me know if I can be of further help.

My youngest daughter is now 5. At about your child's age, she began talking to "Crystal". Now, when I say talking, I mean Conversing. It was as if a flesh and blood person was right there! I asked her what she looked like, etc.. and she had great details. She even knew where Crystal lived, had played with her at her house, knew what she liked to eat, etc.. Once, after about a year of this, I asked her if Crystal wanted some juice, too... she responded with, "Mommy, Crystal is my 'maginary friend. She can't drink!" heheh as if I was the goofy one. She still talks about Crystal and now Crystal has a new friend and all three have adventures! This occurrence has subsided since she has made friends at pre-k and such, so, it may be what your daughter is beginning...

Now my son, 3 months old, barely.. will do like someone else says, and smile really huge smiles right behind me or at the door as if someone is there... I turn, and no one will be there. He's never met grandma. She passed right before he was born. I like to think he sees her watching out for him.

Truth is, we don't know. And you handled it great. I'd just keep the communication open so she doesn't feel like you're unhappy with her or think she's lying, and play it by ear. Try not to freak out on her, and she'll tell the truth as she sees it.

L.

Children (and even some adults,) have such vivid imaginations that they can picture what they imagine in their minds. When I was a child, I was afraid of the dark and when my bedroom door was shut - I could "see" my fear - it looked like static in the corner of my room. My sister and I also shared an imaginary friend and we were also sure we could see her. She had tea parties with us. I also wanted my dolls and stuffed animals to be real, so to me they were - they sat at the foot of my bed and protected me during the night. (I still have a vivid imagination and can see in my mind something I read or hear.) My youngest sister had an imaginary friend who was a clown. I would talk to him with her and we would get him to help clean up her room. My daughter and oldest son shared an imaginary friend too. His name was Boykin and he did a lot of bad things. They believed in him but they "killed" him because he was evil. They even described to me how they killed him.
I think it would be good to keep asking questions about the lady and give your daughter directions as it sounds like she has put some sort of fears into this imaginary lady. Tell her to ask the woman her name and then ask her to introduce the lady to her and you can pretend to talk to the lady.

Dear S.M:

Yeah- this kind of thing is really tricky to talk about because everyone see's this through their own references. For what it is worth...here are my words.

Your response was great. She probably told you because she trusts you. More will come if you do not focus on it too much. If this is a 'disability' then that will become apparent. If this is an 'ability' that will become apparent too.

The fact is that some people can see other people who are not visible to us.

Have you ever seen the television show called "Medium"..with Roxana Arquette? Everyone has lots of opinions, but I actually know someone like this quite well, and this is just another gift that some people have.

Why they have it ??? Who knows.
If it is different than other people and sets her apart, she will notice this and handle it in a natural way...she will probably keep talking to you and ask you about it.

This is not a problem.

There is a show on now called,"Phychic kids" on tv with a therapist and a medium that guide kids of all ages and parents to explain and handle situations, internal and external, dealing with different 'gifts'. My thoughts are that it was a ghost/spirit. I think you're handling everything correctly. With regards to personal experiences..when I was 10, my neighbor died, his ghost/spirit came and visited me, in my house. It frightened me. It didn't help that my parents didn't beleive me and thought it was a stage I was going through that I would prefer to sleep on the floor next to their bed than in my own room. I was so scared once that I told him that this was my house, he was not welcomed and he was scaring me...and he did leave. Your daughter always has the right to ask this person to leave.

Well... Have you read James Van Praagh "Talking To Heaven" ??? My 41/2 year old (now 6) Daughter asked me about my Dad's Mother who died before she was born.... My Daughter was sitting on the toilet and described my Dad's Mother perfectly... knew her name... Lucy... but reffered to her as Aunt Lucy... I asked her ... do you mean Grandma Lucy?... She said "Yes.. Grandma Lucy" My Dad's Mother was an Artist and Clothing Designer ... born in the early 1900's... My Daughter descibed what she looked like... dark curly hair ... colorful clothing... then she asked me the question that sealed the deal... Mommy... Do women wear ties... Well... My Grandmother who created and made her clothing .. for the last quarter of her life made silk blouses with ties around her neck to hide her neck :) ... Ok my Daughter won... or did My Dad's Mother? My Husband's brother had recently passed away from a drowing incident at 59... surfing at his home break... My Daughter told me that our Grandmother talked to her about this in a dream... I asked her ... "Did Grandma tell you that it was Ok" to which my Daughter answered... "No Mommy... She did not say it's ok... She just explained it to me... It's sad Mommy... it is Not OK."
Well alrighty then... just so happened that my Husband and his other brother were chatting about the same tragedy at the same time in the car that my Daughter was dreaming about it in out Hotel room.
I have to say that I have had 4 experiences that I can think of off the top of my head ... n my 46 years that make me a believer in the after life... If you are curious I will explain... other wise... read the book referred to above and the John Edward's books... starting with "One Last Time". .. , etc.....

This is not a religious response, but children see things that we don't because there minds are not distorted by the clutter of life. They are fresh beings and have open minds for the doors of the un explainable have not yet been closed by opinions and thoughts of others. I think that is quite an amazing thing!

I recently wrote about my experience with this in my children. In 2002 when my son was four we moved to a new house. He began talking about Jimmy. We didn't know a Jimmy so I asked some questions. It turnes our Jimmy was an 8 year old red headed boy who, according to my son, had died because he "couldn't breath." I admit it was a bit disconcerting and I have resisted the urge to research and find out if any local child fitting that description has died. As my 3 other children have grown they have all come to know Jimmy. They all speak of him and his age and description have not changed. My son is now 9 and is starting to say that Jimmy is imaginary but I honestly wonder if that is because he feels like it isn't socially acceptable or if, perhaps, he has become cynical enough to no longer believe it... or maybe Jimmy was imaginary all along??? hmmm :)
As a side note - I hesitated for a long time to admit this to any family or friends because it is probably not very well accepted within my faith community. Now I just figure - we have to admit there is much we don't understand and I just place this into that category.

are you sure that she isn't just using her imagination? or that she saw your reaction and decided to take it a step further?
my oldest, now almost 5, had "kids and babies" for a long time starting around 2. her imaginary friends were treated just like anyone else around here, and she often blamed things on them, could see them sitting w/ her, held their hands....
hope you figure this out!!

~E

I just wanted to share that my nephew used to see "man" when he was around 2 years old. "Man" was also what he called his deseased grandfather......

Also, you may find it interesting to research Indigo Children. It is basically the idea that the new generation is part of a giant evolutionary jump, enabling them to have a lot more "gifts" than the previous generations, and more advanced emotional capacities than most.

Good Luck!

Hi, I don't know if you believe in ghosts or spirits, but I do. This happened to my daughter a few times when she was just a toddler. Her father's M. died before she was born. This would have been her first grandchild and only girl in the family. The first time she saw a "person" was in my bedroom. She was on the bed and I heard her screaming, "Grandma Renee, stop calling my name!" She told me that she saw her other grandma by the closet and walking towards the bathroom. She was frightened and at that moment, I just shouted to leave my daughter alone because she was scaring her. The reason why I know she was not imagining this is because she was only a year old and I told her about her grandmother only once. The second time was at my sister's house. We were in the bedroom and she was shaking perfusely pointing at a person looking at her by the door. I don't know who she saw, but I later found out that somebody died in that room long ago. The third time was when my sister took her to the Philippines and they visited my grandmother's house. My sister was sitting on the couch and my daughter told her that there was a man sitting next to her with his legs crossed looking at her. I'm not sure who it was, but my grandfather use to sit there all the time and always had his legs crossed every time he sat. She was three years old at this time. After these episodes, she never had another one. It just may be a phase as some believe that children have a "third" eye and can see ghosts because they are so innocent and pure. If your daugther is not afraid of this "person" then, don't worry about it. Hopefully it will pass as she gets older.

Dear S.M,

Just believe! Charoltte P answer was spot on. Another lady
mentioned Indigo Children. Since the mid 90's many children being born fall in this catagory. I would suggest you Google it and learn more about it. It will probably help you to deal with your daughter, but what you did was the perfect way to handle it. To inquire and ask more questions when she mentions it again would not be a bad idea. Just give her positive reinforcement as you did. If she wants her there, tell her it's O.K. to talk to her. If she does not want her around, tell her to ask her to leave. Then ask her if she did leave?

I have a 40 year old step daughter who is an intutive and uses her ability for a living to help people, but did not awaken or have this abitily until about 6 or 7 years ago. I now have a new grandbaby who is 15 months and so many times when she comes over to our house I see her staring off in a way that makes me think she is totally seeing someone. IF, your daughter does have a problem, in that she ask the lady to leave and she does not, and it bothers your daughter, you can contact me and I will give you my daughters referral information, she might be able to help or refer you to someone who can. She works in Marina Del Rey.

I would definately consider this an ability and your daughter may grow out of it. Then again, I know several teenagers who have the ability and have had since being small. They know what it is and have learned how to handle it and it doesn't effect them. Most of all, do not disbelieve your child and thinks she nuts. There was a perfect show on Ghost Whisper that touched on that exact subject. It was so hard on the teenage girl that her parents didn't believe her and thought she was nuts. As I said, just believe and go with it. You way of handling it was great! Good luck.
C.

Ghosts and spitits are not religious. If you believe in them then you do and if you don't then you don't. Children are much more in tune than people think. I am not religious and was not raised in any religion, but I do think that there are spirits and "angels." Maybe imaginary friends are angels, I guess us adults will never know : ) I never had an imaginary friend nor have I seen a ghost or spirit, but maybe one day I will.

Hi there,
I think you did the right thing.. Tell your daughter to tell the "Person" to go away she dosen't want them there. Don't over react as this might make your daughter scared. Personally I have had these experiences and telling it to go away helps but she needs to do it herself and be stern. Please let me know how it goes, I'm curious.

MB

Hi there - It sounds to me like you have a psychic little girl. Enjoy it. I have a wonderful friend in the valley who is an amazing psychic. I also have a good friend whose daughter began seeing spirits in their house when she was very small also. She would talk to her grandpa who had passed over and she had never met. She saw a picture of her grandpa and told her Dad that that is who she sees and who she talks to. I would encourage it. If that is what it is, it is a real gift. Take care.

Has she been through any traumatic experiences lately? Sometimes that can trigger this kind of reaction. Also, it sometime happens that little kids have invisible friends. My older daughter did, and she grew out of it. I think I would kind of keep an eye on the situation and see if it gets more frequent or seems to fade away. If it keeps happening you might want to take her to your pediatrician to be checked.

Hi SM
I would say that you can call me a skeptic, however, I have had a particular experience which keeps me from dismissing this as an imaginary friend.

Also, my son has 2 imaginary cousins, but he's 4 1/2 and knows that they are imaginary. The main difference that I see is that he introduced them or mentioned them by name when they first joined our family...he didn't point to anything in particular expecting me to see the same thing - he is the expert on his imaginary characters and would never expect me to answer questions about his creation - does that make sense?

I agree with the other M. who suggests you casually find out more information about this person...draw a picture, does she have a name, etc. Although it may be a little tough to get information from a 2 year old! Anyway, she may just have a wonderful imagination, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out. I A. super curious now too, so please let us know what happens...good luck!

You are very in touch and in tune with your daughter. You obviously know and trust her and believe her. Your responses are wonderful. As you yourself don't seem to believe in other energies besides our own perhaps you could just keep doing what you are doing so that you don't discourage her from her experience in this world. Some children (myself included) do or did see others that parents could not. You have to be true to yourself, but it would be wonderful for your daughter to have your support and belief in her or at least a lack of judgment and disapproval for her view on your part. Sonia Choquette would be a great resource for you.

My son does the same thing he points and says "Him. Him." I do what you did. Tell my son to tell "him" to go away. Or ask my son to tell me what "He" is doing. We might go months without "him" showing up or weeks of pointing. I think (hope) it may be imaginary and that he will grow out of it. People say that kids can see spirits or ghosts at that age but I'm not really into that.

Children still see spirits, people who aren't in body, quite clearly up until 3 years old. By that age, they have learned that the adults in their lives don't see them, so they just stop. My one year-old grandson watches spirits all the time. He stares at a point in the room and does his flirting and smiling some times, other times he just looks intently. I have a very good friend who is very psychic and see spirits as well - if she is around she always verifies what he is seeing. I am jealous as I would love to be able to see them. The last time he was really looking at a particular corner of his bedroom for a few days, my friend verified that his was his great grandmother coming to check on him. She has been dead for about 20 years. It isn't a problem, but a wonderful gift. Next time ask her to describe the person and explain that you can't see him or her, but that it is wonderful that she can.
J., mother of 2 and grandmother of 1

Seeing someone who isn't there has nothing to do with religion. Some children do that. My son would say that he is talking to Anna, which just happens to be my mohter's name; she passed away. I'm not going to tell you that I believe anything, but that is what happened. A friend of mine died from a diabetic coma. My son, who was 2 at the time, said that Auntie Pee was in a circle (that I took to mean that she was dizzy, not what he said,but what I figured it to mean)He also said that she said "goodbye,no more see me". List it with the unexplained.

I guess it sort of depends on what your view is on ghosts. If you think they can exist then it might be interesting to look into the history of your house. Perhaps that would help you figure out who the lady is, if there actually is a lady. It sounds like you don't think she is making it up based on your comments about her not having an overactive imagination. I think the way you handled it, by telling her to ask the person to leave, rather than telling her she wasn't seeing anything was a very sensitive way to respond to her without making her feel like you were angry or didn't believe her.

Aloha! I agree with most of the responses. It could be your daughter's imagination or she could really be seeing someone. Do you have any trusted friends or family members that you could ask, since this "ability" sometimes runs in the family? My daughter occassionally sees some of our deceased family members and she had never seen pictures of them. I tentatively mentioned this to a trusted aunt, and it turs out that she and my grandmother both have that ability and so I have asked her to "guide" my daughter. But don't rule out that it could be her imagination, since she is only 2. Good luck!

have you asked her describe what the lady looks like? any special characteristics? when there is time, possibly (just for the heck of it) you can take out old photos of passed on relatives and see if she tells you any of them look like what she is seeing. Not a religious suggestion, more of a scientific one since this is what organizations do when they prove or disprove hauntings.

well my kids when they were young saw "people" all the time. Religious or not, the fact is kids are more open to other realms of existance if you will. whether they are "spiritual" or other dimensions is unclear, but the fact remains that our little ones are more open to it than adults. I would tell her to ask the lady her name, and if she isnt afraid, and she is healthy and happy, let her talk to her new friend.My children are 12 and 14 and they still see things, and people and they are not afraid. I never told them it wasnt real or they were just seeing things, because i myself personally believe in this stuff, but that doesnt mean you have to. You need to decide by watching your child with these "sightings" what you want to guide her to believe. this is a touchy subject, and unfotunately most people are closed off to the idea that it just might be possible that "spirits" or "entities" if you will, exist. And of course, it does make us question religious things when it happens, because religion is usually the one thing that can explain the unexplainable. Things we cant wrap our heads around in a logical sense tend to go in that direction.I am not advocating any one religion or even suggesting any one sect or form of worship, but perhaps you could research things and find out for yourself ways to approach this issue with your child. Personally for myself, i told my girls to ask these "people" what they wanted or why they were there, and how they coudl help the "energy" or "Person" to get where they needed. and on occasion my children would tell me that the "person" was there for them to protect them or to comfort them. So i wish you the best of luck. This was just my experience. I tried to make it postiive, and we would light a candle or burn some insence to thank the "person" or "energy" for the visit, and would thank them for their time, like you would offer a friend a glass of tea or coffee.But liek i said ti is up to you to decide if you show fear, and in turn teach fear, or teach your child acceptance, if it is a good thing. Now, if your child feels bad and gets affraid, then you need to take other steps to protect your child from this "person" or "energy". it would take too long to explain that side of it. Liek i said observing is the best bet for now. Just my opinion.

Jewel

First of all I think you handled it perfectly. Whether the person she sees is real or imagined - it's real to her and that's what is important. I think the most important thing NOT to do is to say nothing is there. You want to foster her imagination. So... good going!

Hi S"M
Don't worry, your toddler is not only normal, she's also very creative. Her burgeoning imagination fuels this wonderful fictitious creation, someone who accompanies her as she explores the world. Firstborns often have imaginary friends, as do very bright kids. It's one way children learn to make distinctions between good and bad. For example, your child may blame her friend for any misdeeds,later on. saying "Jane" made her spill the milk or pull her books off the shelves.Because your daughter called your attention to it,and asked you what she was doing there,It would seem,that your daughter was attempting to strike up a little conversation with you.As minimal as her vocabulary is right now, she has witnessed you having conversations,and she wants to mimic you.I wouldn't read any more into it than that.She is sharp for her age,,and wants you to recognize it.I wish you and your darlin daughter the best.

More power to you!
Good luck with this issue,
B.

When my daughter was two,(almost four now) she had a few moments where she saw her deceased babysitter helping her do things like turn on the tv, and once she saw a man in my friends backyard that only she could see. I am not sure if what she saw was just imaginary or something real to her. I just went along with it and it was only for a few months that she went through the "sightings" and I didn't make a big deal out of it. I also have a God son who had our whole family convinced when he was three that he was getting a new step brother(his M. was remarrying and we never saw her anymore) he would tell stories about them playing together and even tell people his name was David and what he looked like. Well when she did remarry and we asked about David, we found out David was not real. Kids just go through lots of great, crazy, and interesting phases. Never a dull moment.

At this age is when kids start to develop their imagination. My guess is that she is having an imaginary friend and nothing to worry about.
My sister played with her buddy "Charles" for years-he went eveyrwhere with our family. My son around 2 1/2 began seeing a tiger everytime we were in the carpool lane. That tiger followed us for many, many months! He's 6 now and comes up with new visitors now and then.
I wouldn't worry about it too much. Have her draw you a peicture of what the lady looks like, if hse has a name, is she real or pretend. Ask some questions about it and see how she responds to get an idea of what she is thinking.
If you are a believer in ghosts, etc., there are those paranormal "experts" you can always hire to check out the house. I know there is the chance of ghosts existing but I am a little skeptical of those people.
Hope this helps you out.

I want to tell you that I am 51 years old with a darling 3 year old daughter. I have been happily married to my wonderful husband for 28 years. I consider myself to be very normal and logical. With that said, I can remember staying at my husband's parents home overnight. His M. collected alot of antique furniture and things. I was awakened in the middle of the night and saw a white haired man sitting at the dining room table in an old dark suit. I did not recognize the man but was not afraid of him. He smiled at me and I smiled back. I turned to wake my husband and the man was gone. I know I saw this man. I was not imagining it but it was very strange. The next morning I told my mother in law about the man. She said "Oh yes, that was our ghost". She thought he must of died in a home where one of her pieces of furniture came from. When she got the dining room furniture he came with it some how. I now believe there are friendly spirits in our world. Some call them imaginary friends. I have not seen one since but I feel better knowing that not all ghosts are scary ones. I hope this helps you.

My two boys have done the same thing. Living in our old house, my oldest (when he was about 3) would come running to tell me that someone is sleeping in my bed. Another time my other son when he was 3 years old proceeded to ask me why I kept bumping into someone in the kitchen. I said, "Who am I bumping into?", and he then said the name of the lady who lived in the house before us ( he had never heard her name before). She died the day escrow closed and she loved her house very much. So, I just ask them if they are afraid. The always say "no", and then we go about our day. I think children are more in tune with things like this and I wouldn't worry about it unless it was begining to scare them.

It can be strange, my daughter has seen people since she was little. A couple she was sure were ghosts, but "Mr Brown" has been around for years. I decided to see what would happen if I didn't poo poo it. I asked her once if he was imaginary or real and to tell me the truth, not what she thought I wanted to hear. She said he was real. Over hte years, she is 18, he has guided her when she needs help, given her warnings and things like that. It sounds stranbe, but it has been a good thing. She considers him her personal angel. Sorry about sounding reliqious, but that is how she looks at him.

I agree to ask her questions, about the lady. You don't want a spirit, guide or what ever you call this, around if she has a harmful intent, but otherwise, there is no harm and who knows what good this ability will bring. I know my daughter is very intuitive and quietly helps others with this ability. Although she doensn't admit it to many where the information comes from. She doesn't wnat to be considered "different".

I would ask her to describe the woman and let her believe. If it is just imagination, she will grow out of it. If it is more, than you do not slam the door on abiliities.

Oh man! I've never SEEN so many responses to a question! You've definitely peaked everyone's interest.

I would just remind you to look on the bright side: You handled the situation beautifully, your daughter doesn't seem scared, and she said the lady seemed "nice." I bet this is going to be one of your daughter's favorite stories to hear about herself when she grows up, so you might want to write it down. Good luck!

My only question is: Is your daughter scared? If so, she and you have the power to ask "her" to leave. If not, don't worry about it. Also google the topic Indigo Children and see if your dughter fits into that category.

It is not uncommon. I haven't read all the responses, but I hope no one has been negative. As the quote goes, "There are more things between heaven and earth, Horatio, than can be dreamed up in your philosophy."

We are also atheist, so you do not have to worry about the "religious" stuff coming from me. When my son was almost 2, my father-in-law(They called him Pa) passed away. Within a couple of weeks, my son was "seeing Pa". Somehow, I believe small children can see people who have passed away because theor minds are yet influenced by society and they are very open-minded. To this day, I believe my son really saw his grandpa. It's unfortunate he was not able to spend more time with him.

My friend has a 2 year old who used to ask his M., "who's that?" and point to their front steps. Of course no one was there. After he said it a few times, she asked who he saw and he said, "a boy" and also told her that he talked to him. She asked him how old the boy was and was told that he was 14. She said the boy swings on their swing. My friend asked around and found out that a 14 yr old boy died next door about 15 years ago. Sends chills up my spine...

Now that I think of it, my 5 month old baby will all of a sudden look over and smile a hige smile at the air. She stares right at my open bedroom door smiling like she smiles at me. My grandma passed away a year ago, and I have a feeling she is visiting because she never got to meet my daughter.

Great responses! Hey, maybe the lady is your daughter's spiriual guide/guardian angel. I'd hold off on asking your daugter to tell her to leave in case it is her guide. After all, this is who is here to protect her forever (if she truly is her guide.) Check out Sylvia Browne's book, "Psychic Children." She has many other books out. I recently read, "Life On The Other Side." It's a great book. There are so many answers to your questions that you'll feel better about the situation if you just trust the answer will be revealed shortly.

www.sylvia.org

Personally, I don't think your daughter is imagining her at all.

Kindly,
N.

Wow, you got a lot of responses. I agree with those who say that it is one of two things.

The first of which is an "imaginary friend." However, the other possibility is NOT a ghost or spirit. It is a hallucination. Hallucinations are much more common that you think.

A hallucination is a real experiences for the one who is having it... because what is an experience except for what our brain tells us is happening? Certain people at certain times are more prone than others to have their minds color outside of the lines, and it is likely a temporary condition. I'd maybe ask her pediatrician to check for any brain injury or pressure inside the skull, but chances are that any abnormality is very small and will correct itself in time.

I very much admire the way you have handled this difficult situation so far, and I wish you all the best in the future.

Sorry you're not interested in the "religious-side" of this issue. There is more here on planet earth than what you see with your physical eyes. Whether you like it or not, we are living in a spiritual world. Have you ever heard the term, "we are spiritual beings having a human experience"? That's exactly what's going on when you "sense" something about someone that isn't obvious to the eye, such as that "scary" man. On the physical level, he looks pretty normal: two eyes, two hands, two feet, etc. In fact, he may appear to act "normal", nothing out of the ordinary. But on a deeper level, you just know there's something not right about him. Some people call it intuition, other's call it being interconnected spiritually. Because your daughter is so young and innocent, she is able to see that which you cannot see because you operate strictly on a physcial plane of reality. Unless it's causing distress, I wouldn't worry much over this. She could ask the "nice" lady what she is doing in your house. If she tells the lady to leave, then the problem" is taken care of.

It would be interesting to find out who the lady is and why she's there. Obviously, there is no danger present; otherwise, you would have packed up and flew the coop by now. Please, let us know the outcome.

Imaginary friends are normal. Read Calvin and Hobbes books to your children. Notice that the mother sees Hobbes as a stuffed animal, while Calvin sees him as his big, big friend.
B.

Hi. My oldest daughter is very advanced for her age too. She began speaking at 9 mos. and was in full sentences by 16 mos. It was very easy to communicate with her from very early on. She too has brought my attention to "people" she has seen. She would at first wave at them, and then smile and laugh when she saw them. I admit that at first it freaked me out, but she was never afraid so I was never afraid. She is 4 1/2 now and she no longer waves or smiles at "people" I do believe that it may have been some relative, such as her "poppa" or her grandmother that was coming down to visit. When I asked other people about it, I got varied expressions. One that I was told is that children are more in tune with the after life and can see things that adults can not see. Children don't have the experience of age that often squashes our insight into the other dimesnions of life. I don't know how I feel about that, and since it isn't happening anymore, I don't think about it. But you were right to tell your daughter to tell them to leave if it was scaring her or she didn't want them there anymore. I hope this helps.

Hello S' M. I couldn't take the time to read all of the postings, but my question is this: if the lady isn't bothering anyone, why does she have to go away? She might be someone looking over your daughter, and making sure that she is ok. If that is the case, then it is perfectly ok for her to be there. I believe your daughter has a gift, as we all had (we are all born with gifts - some just never tap into them). I say don't discourage this but at the same time, if it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to necessarily encourage it, either. I am curious, and if it were my daughter, I would ask about the woman - what does she look like, what is she wearing, etc... but that would be only to satisfy my curiosity! Good luck to you :)

I think its pretty normal for kids to see things My son often say "Hi" and "Bye" to what I think is nothing. I wouldnt worry about it because she dosent feel threatened or scared of it. what ever it is.

Oh my goodness, that is the coolest. At least she didn't get scared or freak out. It may be she has the begining stages of a psycic. It does seem there are reports of more and more young kids w/ this ability. Depending on her, she may be strong enough to handle it. You are right to be calm, although, you may be shakin up or scared for you and her, see how she handles it and if she is able to see other people or images, if so, look towards the internet and find someone that is able to help her channel that. She is a very special child that's for sure, just be strong for her and try not to scare or put down anything she tells you. Good luck and let me know how she is in a few months.

i believe that as long as your daughter is not upset or scared or suspect that it is harming her, then i think she will be okay. she may be gifted with the psychic power or maybe it's a phase that will eventually go away. nevertheless,since it happened more than once, then consider her as gifted.

how special is that! i think she's got a gift. i've always heard and believed that in situations like that, that the parents should acknowledge and believe the child and not downplay or discourage or minimize what the child has seen etc. it makes me happy the way you handled it. i always told myself that i would support my child if that ever happened. keep that line of communication open with your child. it will be interesting to see how this plays out and to see what this spirit is trying to communicate if anything. however if you feel uncomfortable in anyway or if you think it's a bad energy or if your child becomes frightened or you just want it to leave, i have someone that can help. let me know.
HK

I've heard kids are very receptive to this type of thing. It is very possible your daughter is seeing someone. You did the right thing by telling her to tell the lady to go away if she didn't want her there.

About a year and a half ago, my grandson, now almost 5, started telling my daugthter there was a man in his room. He would come running out of his room to tell them, but there was never anyone in there.

At the time, my daughter was very distraught over the death of my nephew, her cousin, who died in a car accident about a year before that. They were very close in age and felt like brother and sister.

My daughter had a picture of her cousin on the frig and my grandson saw it one day and said that was the man. It really floored them. One of my grandson's little friends said she saw the man too and when she described him, it was an exact description of my nephew.

My daughter told my grandson to say the same thing. They started doing that and my grandson hasn't mentioned it again and has not been afraid of his room.

Blessings to you and your family,

T.
www.sharethecause.com/T.

My 3 year old has been seeing "ghosts" as she calls them ever since we moved into our new house 4 months ago. She went so far as to tell me that she didn't think they were nice and was afraid of them. My son, now 9, used to watch things in our old place that we didn't see. I've simply come to the realization that children see things that we don't. I try to comfort her the best I can and since I'm a laymen regarding these things I just tell her to tell the "ghost" to go away and not to bother her. She seems content with that. I hope you get some good suggestions that make you feel comfortable.

Well, since you made it a point to say you didn't want the spiritual side of it...I can understand, a lot of the answers asked you to believe in something you could not see. Well as a child clinical psychologist who has not seen your daughter and does not know her history, I can offer 2 hypotheses,
it is her imagination, or take the advice of some of the others and talk to her pediatrition. Also since most pediatricians will likely dismiss it...keep a watchful eye, ask her if she can hear other things othr cannot, smell, taste?

Hello!

It could be that your daughter really is seeing "a person". If she continues seeing the lady, think about hiring someone to come in and investigate.

When I was little, between 2 and 5 years old, I saw "a person" that my parents called my guardian angel. Her name was Katrina and they have no doubt that it was really someone I saw and not my imagination. I knew a lot about her, we played together in the house. I talked about her all the time, knew she was from Chicago (a place I didn't know of at that age and couldn't have made it up), knew what she looked like, etc. Coincidentally, when I was pregnant with our first child, Hurricane Katrina induced my labor (long story) and I named our daughter Eeva Katrina after the whole experience. My M. quickly reminded me of my guardian angel Katrina...strange coincidence.

In any case, I think maybe your daughter sees someone. Ask her to provide you with more details. Maybe she can tell you what the lady looks like and you can do a search online for history of your home to see if something turns up. I'm fascinated by this now, please keep me posted!

And good luck!

-Char

Hello,

I have alays been told children can see and sense spirits. It may be religious, but you just might have a friendly spirit/ghost in your home. has anyone you or your husband known passed away recently? If it happens again ask your daughter to describe what she looks like.

Just a thought......

Good Luck

Hi

I just happen to read your question. This is ironic to me. I have a 24 mo old daughter as well. About a month ago she looked above my head and started talking to "a Lady"..she had a conversation with a lady I could not see. I asked her about it and she just said she was talking to a lady. Well, my grandmother <whom i am/was very close with> was on her dealth bed. I live in LA and she lived in Wisc. That morning I had called my grandmother and said my goodbyes to her on the phone, knowing she was about to pass. My mother told my aunt the story (my aunt took care of my grandma) and my aunt asked my grandmother if she went and visited Addy (my daughter) she smiled. I believe that my grandmother came and visited my daughter before she passed on. Someone else said religion and spirituality are very different. she is so correct. Your daughter is her own person with her own thoughts and soul. She sounds very special. You are very lucky.

I'm sure it's nothing, but I'd run it by your pediatrician at your next visit, or even consider a phone call.

There is a really great new TV show that I think is going to be very helpful for parents and kids with "special" abilities called "Psychic Kids". It's on A&E, and it makes me cry to hear the stories. It's amazing how narrow minded some people can be about that kind of thing. Children are very "sensitive", and it sounds like she has a great gift!

Good luck!
J.

Just today my six year old son told me that he has been seeing "blue spirits" in his sisters room at night. He still sleeps with his sister and has never slept alone in this house. Our house, by the way, belongs to my mother-in-law (my father-in-law passed away 3 years ago). For as long as I can remember she kept pictures of deceased family members in her spare bedroom. I can honestly say that not one of the grandchildren like to walk down the hallway to get to the bathroom without turning on the hall light. That spare bedroom, which has been set up for my son as his bedroom, is at the end of the hall next to the bathroom. When I asked him today about the "blue spirits" he said they were men, women and kids. One in particular he described as a women who looked like me, was standing over him when he woke up. He said he has tried to wake up his sister when he wakes up at night but she doesn't want to wake up. I have been reading about paranormal activity for the last 10 years and have found many answers to my own experiences. I think he is being visited by my father-in-law because he said one of them looks just like Papa. My husband is a non-believer and started to tell my son that it is his imagination. I stopped my husband in his tracks and acknowledged by son's story by asking what these "blue spirits" look like. Are you afraid of them? Do you feel like they are going to hurt you? His responses were they looked like his Papa and me as well with the same hair and pj's that I have! We have been trying to get him to sleep in his own room recently with no success. After today's conversation with him, I'm don't think I'm going to push the issue until we settle these issues with the unexpected guests in our house. I don't think I'm crazy especially when my son came to me! Any advice?

This is about the age my daughter's imagination kicked into full gear. She had an imaginary friend and saw all kinds of crazy things. I think your response was fine. :)

Hi- my only experience with something similar was with my youngest daughter ( I have 3 children). She started talking about her "little ant friends". It was a little game that she started basically. Everyone ( including her) knew that she didn't really have an imaginary friend)- she was just exploring language. We remained non-committal about it all and she eventually discarded it.

My nephew did have an invisible friend for awhile. I think he created one because he got a lot of attention about it. My sister used to set a place at the table for this "friend", etc.- After a couple of years it just subsided.

These might be too vague to relate to you.

Here is a link to a paranormal investigation group here in San Diego, they are professional, and don't charge anything for an investigation. They may be able to provide the answers you're looking for.

http://www.ghost-scoops.com/

Hi S.M,
I am a mother of four and 58 years old now, when I was a little girl I too saw people who spoke to me and when I told my M. she would say stop making up stories. I am not religous just spiritual. I believe we are born with six senses but as we grow somehow we forget the sixth one. Well a few years ago I had some major events occur in my life and I really had a sixth sense return and now I know for sure I was not make up stories as a little girl be cause I seen the same people as a child. I will tell you you handled it well and if she and you don't make a big deal about it I know she will be great. You may just have a Physic on your hands which is a good thing. From what I know we never really die just this body we use does and I see that we are all energy and connected. If I sound crazy to you I'm not and believe me if someone were to tell me this about 5 years ago I would say their were crack pots. I don't share myself with everyone I meet because of that, however you wrote about your child and I Love kids so I answered at the risk of someone not believing me and I hope you do for your daughters sake know she is not making it up.
A Friend G.

From the time my daughter could talk, she would tell us that she "knew" Grandpa. (my father was already deceased when she was born...and she never knew him, and we never talked to her about him). She told us that Grandpa visited her, that she "saw him when I was in Mommy's tummy..." and she loved talking about him. She had a real "love" for her Grandpa, even though she never met him, in person. Also, in family photos, she could pick out "Grandpa" in the photo, even though we didn't tell her which one was Grandpa.

We always thought it was interesting...she is a very bright girl and has good intuition as well. We never tried to stop her from talking about Grandpa... and she loved talking about him and felt "close" to him.

Now that she is older though, she does not do that as much anymore. I guess she got socialized out of it... and has other things on her mind. Which is what happens as a child gets older.

We let our girl express her affection and conversations about Grandpa. Afterall, it was her grandpa. We saw nothing wrong with it. She would also say that Grandpa visited her, or visited her when she was sleeping.
If anything, I am glad she "loves" her Grandpa. We never told her she was not allowed to talk about him.

But for you girl, just monitor it... just make sure it is not anything that "scares" her. But yes, at this age they often have imaginary friends. It's developmental and part of their development.

But who knows... have you ever heard of "indigo children?" I don't know much about it.. but I saw it here on this website once. Interesting.

All the best,
Susan

There are unexplainable things that happen. Children are most likely to see things as they have not yet formed opinions or put up walls. They are innocent, pure and open. Your response to your daughter was the right thing to do. It sounds like you handled it calmly without alarming her. I would suggest maybe looking into the history of your home, etc. Sometimes this has something to do with sightings. Whether you and your husband choose to admit it or not, there is a spiritual world and your daughter has seen something. When a child makes up an imaginary friend, the child does not usually ask the parent who that friend is as your daughter did. Think about this. You can choose to accept my advise or not, but I think you would be wise to check into things.

Hello,
First I would like to say that this could be 2 things like others have said. 1 an imaginary friend nothing to worry about. 2 she could actually be seeing people that have passed on. I have had many personal experiences with this. I believe that you handled the situation perfectly. My daughter was about 3years old when she had a full conversation with my grandfather the a day or two after he had passed away. She has had many other experiences however we have talked about it and I have told her the same thing. I you do not want to talk to these spirits then politely and firmly tell them to leave and go to God.
Because you are not seeing this woman I would ask her to describe this person and then if it doesn't ring any bells with you ask family. How ever keep in mind that she may also be someone that has been there for along time.

You have really had some good advice. However do not go to the Dr there is nothing wrong with your child.
Good Luck

i have seen things as well that others can't. it's happened only a few times in the last few years, but it was very real - not a dream or my imagination. and they were all very positive experiences, occuring when i was in a particularily relaxed state. children are open in ways that most adults aren't so it's natural that they see things that we normally can't. and please remember that there is an enormous difference between religion and spirituality. i personally am not a religious person, but i am spiritual. the way i see it is that just because we can't see something doesn't mean it's not there. for instance we can't see electricity, but we all enjoy the effects of it everyday.

there is a good book called "the secret spiritual world of children" by tobin hart. his own child had an "angel" experience, and then he spent the next 5 years interviewing children, parents and adults. perhaps this would be a good resource for you to know that you aren't alone, and for help to know how to respond in a way that nurtures your child. you don't want to dismiss what she is experiencing, or label it as pathological. then she'll close down and her growth will be stunted. trust her when she says the lady is nice. it's natural to be unnerved by things we don't understand, just trust that it's all ok and good.

i hope it all goes well with you!

R.

First, I think you handled the situation well. I think as long as you make it seem normal and ok then she will be fine with it. If it is her imagination acting up, then the lack of shock will end it when she is ready to end it. If she really is seeing something then she knows she can talk to you about "her". My advice, keep asking questions about "her" like you would a new person your child had met and if at anytime she gets afraid of her, the two of you can ask her to go away together. I agree with the postings that suggest that your daughter has a gift and that if you are not worried about having a ghost hanging out I would suggest letting "her" be. My son sees people and waves and blow kisses to people that I just dont see. He seems happy about seeing them so I just ask him questions about them and make sure that they are not trying to scare him. Imaginary or not, these 'people' are his friends and make him happy. So for now, they are more than welcome in our lives. Good luck.

Dear S.M,

Um, well, this is a serious answer. She is very young, and doesn't know about lying yet. So just be cool, and continue answering the way that you are now, and continue to be close to her. Who knows what is happening. Shakespeare said in Hamlet something like " there are more things in heaven and earth than this world dreams of". I used to have an imaginary friend, or so my mother called him. His name was Arney and I told her he was my best friend. I was 4 or 5 something like that.
C. N.