life skills emotions · Ages 6-8

The Group Chat in My Head Said Everyone Was Laughing

A child imagines the worst after hearing whispers, then learns to check facts before believing every worried thought.

The whole story

1. Maya hurried into class on Monday morning with a blue notebook tucked under her arm.

2. Maya drew a dragon with glittery wings. Behind her, two children whispered.

3. Maya heard a tiny giggle. Her pencil stopped.

4. The group chat in Maya's head began to buzz. They are laughing at your dragon, it said. Everyone knows.

5. At recess, Maya kept her notebook shut. She sat far from the others and scuffed one red sneaker in the sand.

6. Maya's friend Jun came over. "You disappeared," Jun said. "Are you okay?"

7. Maya whispered, "Were you laughing at my dragon?" Jun blinked.

8. "No," said Jun. "We were laughing because the red ball rolled into a bucket."

9. Maya looked at the bucket. Then she looked at Jun. The worried story had guessed.

10. Maya showed Jun the dragon. Soon, other children came to see it too.

11. That night, Maya wrote three questions in her notebook: What happened? What do I know? Who can I ask?

12. The group chat in Maya's head was still noisy sometimes. But now Maya knew what to do: pause, check the facts, and ask a friend.

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