💬 When I Feel Sad: A Gentle Social Story to Help Toddlers Understand Big Feelings

 

As parents and educators, we often focus on helping young children feel happy, calm, and successful. But what about the days when they feel... sad?

Sadness is a real, valid emotion — even for toddlers.

And yet, many little ones don’t have the words (or tools) to express what’s happening inside when tears come or moods shift.

That’s exactly why I created “When I Feel Sad – A Toddler Social Story.”

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🧠 Why I Made This Book

I noticed something while running my home daycare: toddlers know when they’re upset… but they often don’t know whyor what to do about it.

This story was designed as a gentle guide — not just to say “it’s okay to feel sad,” but to actually help little ones:

• Recognize how sadness feels in their body

• Understand where sadness might come from

• Know that it happens to everyone (even grown-ups!)

• Try simple, healthy ways to feel better

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📘 What’s Inside

The book follows a simple storyline using toddler-friendly language and soft visuals. Some pages describe the feeling of sadness (“my body feels slow”) while others offer safe ways to cope — like hugging a toy, crying, or sitting with someone they trust.

At the end, there’s a Let’s Wonder Together page with 5 open-ended questions you can ask your child or student. These help build emotional awareness, reflection, and conversation — even for very young learners.

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💡 Who It's For

This printable is designed for:

• 🏡 Parents who want to support emotional learning at home

• 🍎 Educators and ECEs looking for calm-down corner or circle time tools

• 🧠 Therapists or counselors introducing emotion regulation

• 💛 Anyone supporting a toddler or preschooler navigating big feelings

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🖨️ How to Use It

• Print it as a full-size book or mini booklet

• Keep it in your calm-down area or reading nook

• Read it together when your child is sad — or before a meltdown, to build skills proactively

You can laminate it for durability, or let your child flip through when they need some space.

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🛍️ Where to Get It

You can grab your printable copy instantly on Etsy here:
👉 KidRoutinePrintables.etsy.com

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🌟 Final Thought

Our goal isn’t to stop sadness — it’s to support it.

“When I Feel Sad” gives toddlers the language, visuals, and comfort they need to understand what’s going on inside — and to feel a little more in control of their world.

Because learning how to feel… is just as important as learning how to count.

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