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I Need to Stop Something I Enjoy

Roo Bloom · Social Stories · roobloom.com

  1. I am buildingI am building a tall tower with my building bricks.
  2. It’s dinner timeMum calls, “Dinner is ready!” But I’m not finished.
  3. I might feel frustratedI might feel cross, frustrated or worried about my tower.
  4. Helping my bodyI can help my body before I stop.

    I could try… Squeeze my hands, then let go · Count slowly · Move my body — stretch or jump

  5. I can tell MumI can tell Mum that I’m not finished.

    I can say: “I’m not finished. Can I finish after dinner?”

  6. Stopping is not foreverStopping now doesn’t mean I can never finish.
  7. One last brickI can add one last brick, then stop.
  8. My “later” spotI can put my tower in my “later” spot, where it stays safe.
  9. Going to dinnerThen I go to the kitchen and eat dinner with my family.
  10. It waited for meAfter dinner, my tower is still there, waiting for me.
  11. I am learningI am learning to stop now and come back later.

I can remember

  • It’s okay to feel frustrated.
  • I can say, “I’m not finished.”
  • I can use my “later” spot.
  • Stopping now isn’t stopping forever.
For grown-ups

What this story teaches

That being pulled away from something absorbing is genuinely hard and frustration is allowed, and that stopping isn’t losing: a last brick, a safe “later” spot and a clear promise of when they can come back make it possible.

When to use it

  • Before starting a big building, drawing or puzzle project close to a meal or bedtime.
  • When transitions away from play often end in meltdowns.
  • When setting up a “later” spot for the first time.

For this story

  • Give a warning before the stop, and let them choose a stopping point: “one last brick”.
  • Make a real “later” spot — a shelf, a tray or a box — and never tidy it away without asking.
  • Keep the promise: if you say “after dinner”, make time after dinner. A photo of the build can reassure them too.

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.