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A Friend Chooses a Different Game

Roo Bloom · Social Stories · roobloom.com

  1. I want to buildMy friend comes over. I want to build a block tower.
  2. My friend wants a puzzleMy friend says, “Let’s do the puzzle instead.”
  3. I might feel stuckI might feel disappointed, cross or stuck.
  4. My friend has ideas tooMy friend has ideas too. Friends can take turns choosing.
  5. Helping my bodyI can help my body feel less stuck.

    I could try… Squeeze my hands, then let go · Move my body — stretch or jump · Have a drink of water · Hug a cushion

  6. I can suggest turnsI can ask if we can take turns.

    I can say: “Puzzle first, then my tower?”

  7. I can try their gameI can try my friend’s game. It might be fun!
  8. Then it’s my turnNext, it’s my turn to choose. We build my tower!
  9. Or play my game for a bitOr I can build on my own for a bit, then join my friend.
  10. My ideas matter tooTrying my friend’s game doesn’t mean my idea isn’t important.
  11. I am learningI am learning to share the choosing with my friends.

I can remember

  • It’s okay to feel disappointed.
  • Friends can take turns choosing.
  • I can try my friend’s game.
  • I can play my game for a bit.
  • My ideas matter too.
For grown-ups

What this story teaches

That friends have their own ideas about what to play, that feeling disappointed about it is allowed, and three things to try: take turns choosing, try the friend’s game, or play your own game for a while and join in later.

When to use it

  • Before a playdate, especially at your house with your child’s own toys.
  • After a play session ended in a disagreement about what to play.
  • When your child finds it hard to let go of a plan they had in mind.

For this story

  • A visible turn-taker helps: a sand timer, or “your pick, then my pick” said out loud before play starts.
  • Playing alongside, not together, for a few minutes is a real option, not a failure.
  • Model it yourself: “I wanted to play cards, but let’s try your game first.”

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.