Prior to her first day of school, all of Riley's core memories were yellow thanks to Joy.

The main turning points in Riley’s life are used to help younger viewers relate to Riley and what she is going through. They are also used to remind older viewers what it feels like to be 11 years old so that they may be more sympathetic to kids currently in that phase of life.

The first major turning point is Riley’s first day of school when she is asked to introduce herself to her new class. She begins telling about life in Minnesota, but then suddenly feels sad that she doesn't live there anymore and she begins to cry in front of the class. This creates a new core memory, and it is her first core memory that is blue for saddnes instead of yellow for joy (00:23:30).

The next turning point that Riley experiences is when she decides to run away from home. She grabs her laptop and looks up bus tickets to take her back to Minnesota, thinking that if she were there, she would be happier. Whether they actually follow through with it or not, many kids plot to run away from home and leave their problems or, like Riley, go back to a place that made them happier (01:00:40).

The final turning point that Riley goes through is when she comes back home after getting on the bus to Minnesota and she tells her parents how sad she is about having to leave Minnesota. This is the first time Riley feels ready to let those feelings out. She remembers all the memories she made in Minnesota that were once happy, but are now sad memories that she longs for (01:20:06).

All three of these moments are relatable to children, but adults may have a hard time remembering what it was like to have those types of experiences. They may seem like small moments to someone in adulthood who is removed from that phase of life, but for kids, they are life-changing and important experiences to have. By seeing all of the turning points from Riley’s point of view and not an outsider or an adults point of view, the older viewer is able to remember what it was like to be 11 years old and how hard growing up can be, especially after facing a major change. These key moments in Riley's life are used as a tool to appeal to people of all ages.