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When I Feel Stuck on One Thought

Roo Bloom · Social Stories · roobloom.com

  1. I left Teddy behindI left my teddy at Grandma’s house.
  2. Again and againI keep thinking about Teddy, again and again.
  3. I might feel stuckI might feel worried, stuck or grumpy.
  4. A thought on repeatSometimes my brain gets stuck on one thought, like a song on repeat.
  5. I can say it out loudI can say the thought out loud to a grown-up.

    I can say: “I keep thinking about Teddy.”

  6. What Mum knowsMum tells me what she knows.
  7. I can draw itI can draw or write the thought on a piece of paper.
  8. It can wait for laterThe thought can wait in a “later” spot.
  9. Moving my bodyI can help my brain by moving my body or doing something else.

    I could try… Move my body — stretch or jump · Do something else for a bit · Hug a cushion

  10. If it comes backIf the thought comes back, that’s okay. I know things to try.
  11. I am learningI am learning how to help a stuck thought.

I can remember

  • My thoughts and feelings are okay.
  • I can tell a grown-up my thought.
  • I can draw it or write it down.
  • A thought can wait for later.
  • If it comes back, I can try again.
For grown-ups

What this story teaches

That brains sometimes loop on one thought, that it isn’t the child’s fault, and a few ways to loosen it: say it to a grown-up, get the facts, draw or write it, move, and give the thought a “later” spot to wait in.

When to use it

  • When your child asks the same question many times, or can’t settle because of one thought.
  • Before bed, if thoughts tend to loop at night.
  • When setting up a worry box or “later” jar at home.

For this story

  • Answer the question once, calmly and concretely, then point to the “later” plan — and keep the later time you promised.
  • Name it instead of dismissing it: “That thought is stuck. Let’s give it somewhere to wait.”
  • If stuck thoughts are frequent, distressing, or come with rituals your child feels they have to do, talk to your GP or a professional.

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.