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Someone Says “Maybe Later”

Roo Bloom · Social Stories · roobloom.com

  1. I ask about the parkI ask Dad, “Can we go to the park after lunch?”
  2. Dad says “maybe later”Dad says, “Maybe later.”
  3. I might feel unsureI might feel unsure, impatient or a bit worried.
  4. What “maybe” means“Maybe” means we don’t know yet.
  5. I can ask what it depends onI can ask what will help Dad decide.

    I can say: “How will we know?”

  6. Waiting to find outWhile I wait to find out, I can help my body feel settled.

    I could try… Hold my calm-down thing · Move my body — stretch or jump · Do something else for a bit

  7. A yes plan and a no planI can think of a plan for a yes, and a plan for a no.
  8. If it’s a yesIf the rain stops, it’s a yes. We go to the park!
  9. If it’s a noIf it’s a no, I might feel sad. My no plan is ready.
  10. Wait and seeEach time I hear “maybe”, I get more practice at waiting to see.
  11. I am learningI am learning that “maybe” means “we’ll see”.

I can remember

  • “Maybe” means we don’t know yet.
  • Not knowing can feel hard. That’s okay.
  • I can ask, “How will we know?”
  • I can have a yes plan and a no plan.
For grown-ups

What this story teaches

That “maybe” honestly means “we don’t know yet” — it can become a yes or a no — and how to live with not knowing: ask what it depends on, help the body, and make a yes plan and a no plan.

When to use it

  • When your child hears “maybe” as a promise, and a later “no” feels like a broken one.
  • When not knowing is the hardest part of waiting for your child.
  • Before a day that depends on the weather or on someone else.

For this story

  • Only say “maybe” when it truly could go either way, and say what it depends on: “Maybe — if the rain stops.”
  • If you mean no, say no kindly. A “maybe” that always turns into no teaches that maybe means no.
  • Tell your child when they’ll find out: “I’ll tell you after lunch.”

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.