Imaginary friends are part of normal childhood development, but clinicians should assess rigidity, distress, or functional impairment to separate healthy play from underlying concern issues.

"Mom/Dad! I'm SOOO bored!" Hearing this can conjure a rolling of the eyes in most parents. Decades ago, playing outside until sunset cured the "I am bored" declaration. Children happily imagined being ...

Sometimes when I reach for a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, I’ll find a hamster in our freezer. My daughter put the disintegrating stuffed toy in a Caboodle, a clear plastic case meant for organizing ...