A dirt racing track scene where friends gather, with one character sitting apart looking thoughtful while another approaches with care
A warm illustration of animal friends at a racing track, one friend noticing another sitting quietly by their vehicle looking down, showing the moment of recognizing when someone needs support
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Check Engine Light

Someone you care about is having a really hard day. They're not acting like themselves—something seems off, like a warning light telling you to check in. What do you do? With a little advice from a wise friend, you'll learn that being a good friend isn't about fixing everything—sometimes it's about pulling over, showing up, and letting someone know they're not alone.

HelpfulnessGenerositySocial AwarenessRelationship SkillsSelf-AwarenessDecision MakingCBTRubberdale

About This Story

What your child will experience

Your child will guide a character who notices a friend having a hard day—and learns how to check in. They'll practice reading emotional cues, seek advice from a wise mentor, and choose how to support their friend: by offering quiet presence, asking gentle questions, or helping them think about the situation differently. Along the way, they'll explore what it really means to show up for someone—even when you can't fix everything.

Why this approach helps

By practicing how to notice and respond to a friend's distress, children develop emotional awareness and learn that helping doesn't mean fixing. The CBT-style reframing path gently introduces the idea that our thoughts about a situation matter, while the presence path reinforces that sometimes just being there is enough. Both are valuable friendship skills. Exposing your child to CBT-style reframing through the lens of helping someone else, they can passively learn to apply this strategy to their own perspectives, too.

What to notice as a parent

Your child's choices reveal how they think about friendship and discomfort. Do they gravitate toward action or presence? If your child chooses the reframing path, consider using a similar tactic the next time your child is experiencing big feelings: is the underlying belief "true," or are there times when it may not have been?

Personalize This Story

Make this story truly special by adding these details:

  • ✓Who will you be today?

Story Questions

Questions your child may be asked while creating this story:

  1. Who does the main character notice?
  2. How does the friend seem to be feeling?
  3. What is the friend's problem?
  4. What does the main character think the friend needs right now?
  5. What could the main character do to show they care?
  6. What did the main character learn about being a good friend?

Loved by Families

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“As an lifelong educator, I give this app an enthusiastic 5 stars+. With opportunity to choose and name characters, type of story and plot ... what could be more creative? What could be a more productive use of screen time? I love that this app was created and is carefully monitored by a Mom of young kids. She also happens to have technical/AI chops ... she was a Google Product Manager in their Education Products sector. The graphics are quite lovely, the story lines are fun and age-appropriate.”

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— Bill

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