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Getting Ready for School

Roo Bloom · Social Stories · roobloom.com

  1. It’s a school morningOn school mornings, I get ready before we leave.
  2. My picture scheduleMy picture schedule shows me each step.
  3. Mornings can feel busyI might feel tired, rushed or worried in the morning.
  4. Helping my bodyIf it feels like too much, I can help my body first.

    I could try… Hold my calm-down thing · Take slow breaths · Ask for help

  5. One step at a timeI only need to do one step at a time.
  6. BreakfastAfter I get dressed, I eat my breakfast in the kitchen.
  7. Brushing my teethThen I brush my teeth in the bathroom.
  8. Asking for helpIt’s okay to need help. I can ask.

    I can say: “Can you help me with my shoes?”

  9. Shoes and bagLast, I put on my shoes and pick up my bag.
  10. Forgetting is okayIf I forget a step, my schedule can remind me.
  11. Mornings get easierEach morning, I get a little more practice.
  12. I am learningI am learning to get ready, one step at a time.

I can remember

  • One step at a time.
  • My schedule shows what’s next.
  • It’s okay to ask for help.
  • Busy mornings can feel hard.
For grown-ups

What this story teaches

That school mornings are a series of small steps that a picture schedule can hold, that feeling rushed or tired is allowed, and that asking for help is part of getting ready, not a failure.

When to use it

  • The evening before a school day, or on a calm weekend morning.
  • When mornings often end in tears, rushing or shut-downs.
  • When starting a new picture schedule, to introduce it.

For this story

  • Make the schedule with your child: photos of their own clothes, bowl and bag work well.
  • Build in more time than you think, and cut steps (lay clothes out the night before) rather than hurrying.
  • Help freely. Doing a step together still counts as doing it.

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.