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A Surprise Happens

Roo Bloom · Social Stories · roobloom.com

  1. A surprise at homeI come home from school, and Grandma is here!
  2. What a surprise isA surprise is something I didn’t know was going to happen.
  3. Two feelings at onceI might feel excited and worried at the same time.
  4. It’s okay to need a minuteIt’s okay to need a minute before I join in.

    I could try… Find a quiet spot for a bit · Cover my ears or use headphones · Hug a cushion · Move my body — stretch or jump

  5. I can say what I needI can tell a grown-up what I need.

    I can say: “I need a minute, please.”

  6. The surprise will waitMy family will wait for me.
  7. I can ask what’s happeningI can ask what is going to happen next.

    I can say: “How long is Grandma staying?”

  8. I can join in my wayWhen I’m ready, I can say hello in my own way.
  9. It’s okay to feel a lotNeeding a minute doesn’t mean I don’t like the surprise.
  10. Surprises get easierSurprises get easier when I know I can take a minute.
  11. I know what helps meI am learning what helps me when things are a surprise.

I can remember

  • I can feel excited and worried at once.
  • It’s okay to need a minute.
  • I can say, “I need a minute, please.”
  • I can say hello in my own way.
For grown-ups

What this story teaches

That a happy surprise can still feel like too much, that excitement and overwhelm can come together, and that needing a minute — and saying hello in their own way — is allowed.

When to use it

  • Before birthdays, visits or holidays where surprises are likely.
  • After a “happy” event ended in tears, to show that makes sense.
  • When relatives are coming, to talk about hellos without hugs.

For this story

  • Where you can, turn a surprise into a “little bit of warning”: “Someone special is coming today.”
  • Tell visiting family ahead of time that your child may need a minute, and that a wave counts as hello.
  • Never insist on hugs or kisses — your child’s body belongs to them.

How to use it

  • Read it together on a calm day, not mid-meltdown. In the hard moment itself, fewer words help more: stay close, keep everyone safe, and save the story for later.
  • Read it again just before a tricky moment you can see coming: on the way to the park, the night before a haircut.
  • Make it fit your child: skip pages, stop when they’ve had enough, swap a detail as you read so it matches your child’s day, or read only the “I can remember” card.
  • Add your child’s first name on the story’s opening page and it appears in a line or two. The name stays in this browser and is never sent anywhere.
  • Use the story’s words in real life (“No means not right now”), and model them when you hear “no” too.
  • Notice tries, not perfect calm. Big feelings are allowed; the story is about what to do with them.

Good to know

  • These stories are for everyday disappointments and changes. They never mean a child should put up with pain, fear, unsafe touch, bullying or anything that hurts — telling a trusted adult is always the right answer there.
  • Nothing here asks a child to make eye contact, hug anyone — family included — stop stimming or stop crying. Crying and moving are ways bodies cope, and headphones or a break are always allowed.
  • Where a story says a grown-up will do something — stop when a hand goes up, give a warning, keep a “later” spot — make sure it really happens, or change that page. A signal that isn’t honoured teaches a child their words don’t work.
  • The aim is understanding and choices, not a quiet or compliant child. Asking “why?”, saying no to touch and disagreeing in words are skills to welcome.
  • Visual stories help many children and not every child. Adapt, skip or change any page. This is an educational resource, not therapy or medical advice.