Social Story About Not Getting What You Want

Students will identify feelings, such as anger, sadness, and frustration, that can follow not getting their own way.

Students will state that they cannot control others' words or actions but can control their own reaction.

Students will name at least one of four coping strategies: doing something different, going somewhere quiet, taking deep breaths, or telling an adult.

Read the story before a specific frustrating moment happens, so the four coping strategies are already familiar when they're needed.

Pair the locus-of-control statement on page 6 with a brief discussion, since it introduces an idea (you can't control others, only your reaction) that benefits from a concrete example.

Revisit the story after an actual disappointment occurs, prompting the child to name which of the four strategies they could try.

Emotional identification — naming feelings such as anger, sadness, and frustration that follow not getting one's way.

Locus-of-control reasoning — distinguishing what a child can and cannot control in a disappointing situation.

Coping-strategy selection — choosing among four named strategies (a different activity, a quiet space, deep breaths, telling an adult) to self-regulate.