What are reality checks?

A reality check is like asking yourself, “Am I still awake or am I dreaming?”

Imagine you're playing with your favorite toy, and all of a sudden, it starts floating in the air! That’s when you might do a reality check, maybe you pinch yourself, blink really fast, or look at your hands to see if they’re still real. It's like asking your brain, “Hey, are we still in the same world?”

Sometimes people try to tell whether they're dreaming or not by doing simple tricks, like counting their fingers or trying to push their nose. If things behave normally, they know they’re still in real life.

Think of your brain as a painter who sometimes gets distracted and starts drawing wild pictures. A reality check is like reminding that painter, “Hey, are we still painting the same picture?” It helps you tell when things get silly or strange, just like when your toy starts flying!