Skip to main content
← Back to the story

When I Cannot Fix Something

Roo Bloom · Social Stories · roobloom.com

  1. My party balloonsI am walking home from a party with my red balloons.
  2. Pop!The balloons bump a spiky branch and go POP! They are gone.
  3. I might feel sadI might feel shocked, sad or cross.
  4. It can’t be fixedA popped balloon can’t be fixed or made the same again.
  5. Looking after my sad feelingI can let my sad feeling be there, and look after my body.

    I could try… Cry if I need to · Stay close to a grown-up · Hold my calm-down thing · Take slow breaths

  6. I can say how I feelI can tell Mum how I feel.

    I can say: “I’m sad my balloons popped.”

  7. Mum can listenMum can’t fix it either. She can listen and stay with me.
  8. What I can do nextWhen I’m ready, I can choose something to do next.
  9. The sad feeling gets smallerThe sad feeling will get smaller. I still had fun at the party.
  10. I am learningI am learning that I can feel sad and still be okay.

I can remember

  • It’s okay to feel sad. Crying is okay.
  • Some things can’t be fixed.
  • I can tell a grown-up how I feel.
  • I can choose what to do next.
  • The sad feeling gets smaller.
For grown-ups

What this story teaches

That some things can’t be fixed or made the same again, that sadness about that is allowed and passes, and what to do: let the feeling be there, say it, stay with a grown-up, and choose something to do next.

When to use it

  • Right after a loss that can’t be undone — a popped balloon, a lost toy, a melted snowman — once your child is ready to listen.
  • When your child gets stuck on “fix it!” and can’t move on.
  • Before events with fragile treats, like balloons at a party.

For this story

  • Don’t promise a replacement straight away; first let the sadness be felt and named.
  • “I can’t fix it, but I can stay with you” is honest and comforting.
  • Turning the lost thing into a drawing or a story can help your child say goodbye to it.

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.