Interview with Kylie Holmes:
Can you tell us a little about your background?
I am a Mum of three children, Jade 10, Amba 8 and Leo 4. I am a Writer, Intuitive Angel Therapist, and Past Life Regression Therapist. I am also a Hypnotherapist and teach meditation to children and adults.
How did you get into writing and why did you write this book?
I always enjoyed English at school and always had my head in a book and loved Roald Dahl & Enid Blyton. I wanted to be a sports journalist when I was at school but never got to do it. I always wrote my ideas down and then I’d forgot about them. I was introduced to children’s imaginary friends when I picked up my eldest daughter, Jade, from nursery school ten years ago, and she announced that her brother – imaginary friend ‘Sammy’ – was going to live with us and sleep under her bed. Her mischievous playmate once persuaded her to clean the bathroom using toothpaste! And so my adventure began. My Health Visitor told me it was just one of those things – part of growing up and she would grow out of it. This I simply did not believe and decided to do my own research, as there was not much available to read on the subject.
Did your children have imaginary friends?
Yes they did. Jade had Sammy, Amba had Joe and was always talking about the Fairies moving things around in her bedroom and keeping her awake at night. Leo has Jack & Harry and they are still present. He has also seen my Nan Phyll who passed away October 2007.
Did you have an imaginary friend as a child?
Yes I did. I had Hilda and she left when the family moved house. I remember talking to her on the stairs and at the bottom of the garden for hours on end, when we lived in Bedford, England. She wore a white blouse with a ruffled collar and with a long sleeves, she wore a dark long skirt. She seemed so real to me at that moment in time. But she could walk through walls which I thought was fun. I stopped seeing her when we moved when I was three or four. I can remember her leaving me. We were in a blue camper van and when we passed an old air base she got out and just left.
How long have you been researching imaginary friends?
Ten Years. I started after Jade began talking about Sammy. There was not much available to read on the subject and so it grew and grew into a book.
What should you do if your friend has an imaginary friend?
Don’t panic. Listen to what your child is telling you and encourage your child to talk about their friend. Get them to draw a picture of their friend and ask where they come from, ask them anything that comes into your mind. My best advice is not to push your child for the finer details because they may clam up, take baby steps towards this and you’ll be amazed on how easy it will be for them to open up about their imaginary friend.
Why do you think children are so open to spirit/fairies/Angels etc?
Old soul children’s imaginary friends are evidence of children’s openness to the spirit worlds. They may also be the child’s true self, helping to steer them through the world of conditioning that they have to encounter during their formative years. They are sometimes children that need companionship and cannot fully find it on the other side, because they have not yet let go of their, perhaps brief, incarnation in the present world. They are beings from the spirit worlds who also help the contact between different levels.
What do you suggest to parents that have children who have imaginary friends?
Same as question six. But also to nurture their creative side for a child to thrive in any environment that they come into contact with.
What do you hope that parents will get from this book?
There are many practical exercises in this book that can help you and your child grow in a spiritual environment without feeling like the odd one out. Nurturing your child is the best step forward in helping them feel confident in many areas of their life as they grow into mature young adults.
What other books do you have planned?
Tarot is my passion and so at this moment in time I am writing a book on Tarot to be published by O Books for 2011. Tarot Cards get such a bad press, that my aim with this book is to make it more user friendly and for people to understand the concept of Tarot. I am also writing about fairies and angels and how you can connect with them.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I wanted to prove wrong popular psychology theories about lonely and insecure children inventing an imaginary friend as an companion. A lot of people say their babies chatter away to themselves but sometimes they are talking to someone that they can see beyond the veil. I am always on the look out for new stories and would be happy for people to contact me. You never know there maybe another book waiting to be written!
How can they contact you?
I can be reached through my website at www.touchedbyanangel.me.uk
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- Author Kylie Holmes