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Someone Says “Not Right Now”

Roo Bloom · Social Stories · roobloom.com

  1. I want Mum to readI want Mum to read my new book with me.
  2. Mum is on a callMum is on a work call. She says, “Not right now.”
  3. I might feel disappointedI might feel disappointed, cross or left out.
  4. “Not right now” means not yet“Not right now” means not yet. It doesn’t mean never.
  5. I can ask whenI can wait for a quiet moment, then ask when.

    I can say: “When can we read?”

  6. Helping the wait feel shorterI can help my body while I wait.

    I could try… Hold my calm-down thing · Squeeze my hands, then let go · Do something else for a bit

  7. I can start by myselfI can look at the pictures in my book by myself for now.
  8. Some things can’t waitIf I am hurt, sick or scared, I can tell Mum straight away.
  9. Mum still caresMum still cares about me. She is just busy for now.
  10. Now it’s timeWhen the call ends, Mum reads my book with me.
  11. I am learningI am learning to wait. It gets a little easier each time.

I can remember

  • “Not right now” means not yet.
  • My feelings are okay.
  • I can ask when.
  • I can do something else while I wait.
  • If I’m hurt or scared, I can tell straight away.
For grown-ups

What this story teaches

That “not right now” means “not yet”, not “never” or “I don’t care”, and what to do meanwhile: ask when, help the body, and start something alone. It also teaches that being hurt, sick or scared is never a “not right now” moment.

When to use it

  • Before a work call or a busy stretch at home.
  • When interrupting is often hard for your child — during phone calls, cooking or talking to another adult.
  • After a time your child waited, to name what they did.

For this story

  • Add the “when” wherever you can — “after my call, about ten minutes” — and keep the promise.
  • Agree a quiet signal for “I’m waiting”, like a hand on your arm, that you answer with a nod.
  • Say clearly and often that hurt, sick or scared means interrupt straight away.

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.