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My Favourite Food Is Not Available

Roo Bloom · Social Stories · roobloom.com

  1. My favourite crackersMy favourite snack is my crunchy crackers in the orange packet.
  2. The shop has run outToday the shop has run out of my crackers.
  3. I might feel upsetI might feel upset, worried or cross.
  4. Helping my bodyI can help my body feel a little steadier.

    I could try… Stay close to a grown-up · Squeeze my hands, then let go · Hold my calm-down thing

  5. I can say how I feelI can tell Mum how I feel.

    I can say: “I’m upset. I really wanted my crackers.”

  6. Shops run out sometimesSometimes shops run out. New crackers will come another day.
  7. Choose or waitI can choose another food that feels okay, or wait for my crackers.
  8. A food I knowAt home, I can have a food I already know, like plain pasta.
  9. Mum will rememberMum writes my crackers on the list for next time.
  10. It gets easierEach time my food is different, I get a little more practice.
  11. I am learningI am learning to find a food that feels okay.

I can remember

  • My feelings about food are okay.
  • I can say how I feel.
  • I can choose a food that feels okay.
  • I can wait for my favourite food.
For grown-ups

What this story teaches

That it’s upsetting when a favourite or safe food isn’t available, that the feeling is valid, and that the child has choices: another food that feels okay, or waiting. It never asks them to try something new.

When to use it

  • Before a shop or café trip where a favourite might be sold out.
  • When a familiar brand changes or runs out at home.
  • Before a party or outing with unfamiliar food.

For this story

  • Never use this story to push new foods. Offer a known, accepted alternative, or let them wait.
  • Keep a back-up of safe foods at home, and put the favourite on the list where your child can see.
  • If your child eats very few foods or loses weight, talk to your GP or a feeding specialist.

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.