My Son's Many Personalities

Tuesday, 10 March 2009

My Son's Many Personalities
by Mama Fox
My 3 year old has taken his pretend play an extra step, he now becomes other people.

Number One: The high squeaky voice is the give away. Number One is a 1 year old baby, who crawls around a majority of the time yet talks very clearly. He seems to be the most like T and actually showed up about the same time T got picky about his food.

Mister Bad Guy: With a rough voice punctuated with evil sounding laughter, Mr. Bad Guy generally just runs around the house terrorizing his brothers, mostly by tickling. He bumps his head into my legs if I don't pay attention to him. This one hasn't had much play the last week or so.

Jack: This one is new, introduced to me just last night so I haven't learned much about him yet. Apparently though he is a 15 year old boy. I'm listening in to their playing now because T informed me that he is Jack right now. Eavesdropping gives me the best hints on what to expect from Jack.

I can usually tell when T isn't T and I can go along with it. If Number One is playing with us and I need him to do something, I address him as Number One. It cuts down on him stopping and saying "No Mama, I'm ______." then I would have to repeat my statement with the edited name.

I have really enjoyed watching T shape these "people" and act them out. Reading The Case for Make Believe: Saving Play in a Commercialized World By Susan Linn gave me an extra boost of joy, knowing that my children are taking their play and the very serious business of learning through play as far as they can.

Does your child(ren) have multiple personalities?

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Comments (18)

Thats a lot to know.
- 3/10/2009 1:06 PM
- embrown88@xanga (message)
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He might, he just can't talk well enough to tell me about them.
- 3/10/2009 1:13 PM
- Erika_Steele@xanga (message)
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I wouldn't say my 4 year old has mulitple personalities, but he does love to pretend. His favorite games are to be Superman, or a Knight, or some other super hero.
- 3/10/2009 1:21 PM
- TheDumberScott@xanga (message)
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Is your little one going to counseling? DID is no fun and if you can help him early that will save alot of trouble
- 3/10/2009 3:25 PM
- Wheelchere@xanga (message)
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@Wheelchere@xanga - Counselling? You mean this is a problem??? When I was a child, I tend to pretend to be all sorts of different characters. Well, I personally don't see that as a problem. As far as the Golden Compass is concerned, children's personalities can be easily moulded. Kids are portrayed to have multi-faceted souls (morphing daemons). That's important for them so that they can learn quickly. Children usually are best at learning through imitation... Many children grew up to become creative because of this.
- 3/10/2009 4:37 PM
- nowayout001@xanga (message)
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@TheDumberScott@xanga - Encourage him, he may become a hero one day (unless you want him to live in peace)...
- 3/10/2009 4:38 PM
- nowayout001@xanga (message)
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@Erika_Steele@xanga - There is a lot more than talking...
- 3/10/2009 4:38 PM
- nowayout001@xanga (message)
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@nowayout001@xanga - I do. Absolutely. Not to join the military (if that's what you're implying) but to be a hero. I won't be that surprised if he becomes a policeman.
- 3/10/2009 4:42 PM
- TheDumberScott@xanga (message)
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@nowayout001@xanga - I wrote a long rsponse and then my computer freaked.

I know John is very imaginative, and he has several different behaviors, but right now, I just consider them all a part of his one personality. I can see in the way he plays etc that he is extremely imaginative and it is fun to watch his imagination grow.
- 3/10/2009 5:21 PM
- Erika_Steele@xanga (message)
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@TheDumberScott@xanga - Heroes don't necessarily have to join the military or even the police force... But heroes never can be left in peace...
- 3/10/2009 5:31 PM
- nowayout001@xanga (message)
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@nowayout001@xanga - If her son really did have multiple personalities, that would be a concern, like @Wheelchere@xanga - said. It's a legitimate disorder. however, in this case, it seems her son's just pretending to be different people, in which case that's fine and a normal part of play.

I do think this post could be phrased a bit better though, to avoid confusion.
- 3/10/2009 5:52 PM
- just_the_average_jane@xanga (message)
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@Wheelchere@xanga - This is not any sort of personality disorder. He is playing, acting as his imaginary friend rather than with them.

Thank you for the concern though.
- 3/10/2009 5:57 PM
- mamafox (message)
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ur son has a great imagination his personality is helping him be creative and go thru life in a real fun way

He is young so he imagines and believes things the same as i did when i was small
- 3/10/2009 6:40 PM
- EmoVampireChick@xanga (message)
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Check out some of the archives of electricboogaloo. Awhile back her son would become certain animals every day, and also had many imaginary animal friends.
I think your son is probably fine, although sometimes kids try things like this just to get away with more stuff. (" But I'm Jack, and I'm fifteen, so I can stay up till midnight if I want!")
- 3/10/2009 7:50 PM
- plantingthings@xanga (message)
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Don't let anybody scare you. DID [ the new acronym for multiple personality disorder] is not a disorder that starts -this- early, -and- patients generally have little to know knowledge of their other personalities' existence. Your kid is just having fun using his imagination--the most important tool he will ever have, and I am glad you are thrilled and humoring the behavior. Maybe he will grow up to be the next Michaelangelo ;D
- 3/10/2009 9:51 PM
- RaeChan77@xanga (message)
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My oldest boy suddenly acquired a super-hero alter-ego when he was three. He just woke up one morning as "Dangerman". Dangerman was generally a good guy who could fly and jump with lots of special sound effects. He also had an imaginary sidekick "DangerNana" who lived at the barn and rode horses all the time. When she suddenly stopped hanging around I asked about her, and was sadly informed that DangerNana had accidentally shot herself in the foot. Apparently, it was a mortal wound (imaginary sidekicks to superheros having vastly different internal anatomies from us mere mortals), and DangerNana was never to be heard from again. After about 6 months, Dangerman started coming around less and less. We still miss him.
- 3/11/2009 12:21 AM
- Meahsmom@xanga (message)
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hehe
- 3/17/2009 8:52 PM
- Pastthemirror@xanga (message)
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MPD (or DID as it has been refered to) is yes, a medical diagnosis. HOWEVER, it can be lived with and the people that have it can be very productive citizens. My mother and I are proof of that ^_^

Yes it can also be a problem.

However... at that young of an age? I don't see it as a problem honestly. It's pretend and it shows good imagination.
- 4/28/2009 9:50 PM
- RDQ@xanga (message)
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About the Author

From: mamafox
Name: Mama Fox
About Me: Hi y'all, I'm Mama Fox! I'm a young, optimistic homeschooling mama of three boys. This is all about our adventures and at times misadventures of raising little men in today's world and pretty much whatever else is on my mind. :)