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Waiting for Help

Roo Bloom · Social Stories · roobloom.com

  1. I am stuckIn class, I’m stuck on a sum and I need help.
  2. My teacher is busyMy teacher is helping another child right now.
  3. I might feel worriedI might feel stuck, worried or impatient.
  4. One at a timeMy teacher helps one person at a time. My turn is coming.
  5. I can put my hand upI can put my hand up so my teacher knows I need help.

    I can say: “I’m stuck. Can you help me next?”

  6. Helping my body waitWhile I wait, I can help my body feel steady.

    I could try… Squeeze my hands, then let go · Have a drink of water · Take slow breaths

  7. Something to do meanwhileWhile I wait, I can try the next sum, or read my book.
  8. Some things can’t waitIf I feel sick or hurt, I can go to my teacher straight away.
  9. My teacher will comeWaiting doesn’t mean my teacher forgot me.
  10. Now I knowMy teacher shows me the sum. Now I can do it!
  11. I am learningI am learning to wait for help. It gets easier.

I can remember

  • I can put my hand up.
  • My turn for help is coming.
  • I can try something else while I wait.
  • If I’m sick or hurt, I don’t have to wait.
For grown-ups

What this story teaches

That a teacher helps one child at a time, that waiting while stuck can feel worrying, and what to do: put a hand up, help the body, and try something else meanwhile. It also teaches that feeling sick or hurt never needs to wait.

When to use it

  • If your child gets upset or shuts down when stuck and help isn’t there straight away.
  • Before starting a new class or a new kind of work.
  • At home too, when a grown-up is busy helping a sibling.

For this story

  • Ask the teacher what the class does while waiting (a “stuck” card, a “next job” list) and use the same words at home.
  • Practise at home: “I’m helping your sister — put your hand up and I’ll come next.” Then come next.
  • Tell your child plainly that feeling sick, hurt or scared never needs a hand up.

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.