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A Bedtime Story About Disappointment
Disappointment arrives early in childhood and it is surprisingly heavy: a rained-out trip to the park, a friend who cannot come over, the last cookie already gone. Young children do not yet know that the feeling passes, so in the moment it can feel like the end of the world.
This story lets a child be sad about it, without hurrying them out of it, and then shows the feeling passing and something good arriving in its place. Reading it on an ordinary evening gives them the words for the next time things do not go their way.
✨ Or make one starring your child, free in seconds ↓
What will happen, in order
- I hoped something would happen
- It did not happen
- I feel disappointed
- It is okay to be sad about it
- Something good can still come
Read the steps together in the daytime, more than once. The free printable below has these steps at the top and the bedtime story underneath.
Noah and the Rainy Beach Day
A free story to read aloud tonight
For a whole week, Noah had been waiting for Saturday. On Saturday, they were going to the beach. He had his bucket ready, and his spade, and his blue sunhat, all lined up by the door.
But on Saturday morning, Noah woke up to a sound on the window. Tap, tap, tap. Rain. Lots of rain. Dad looked out the window. “I’m sorry, buddy,” he said. “No beach today.”
Noah’s face crumpled. He threw his sunhat on the floor and cried big, hot tears. “It’s not fair,” he said. “I waited all week.” Dad sat on the floor next to him. “You’re right,” said Dad. “You waited all week, and it’s really disappointing. It’s okay to be sad about it.”
Dad didn’t say “cheer up” and he didn’t say “stop crying.” He just sat with Noah until the tears got slower. Then he said, “We can’t go to the beach. But I wonder what else we could do with a bucket and a spade on a rainy day.”
They put on raincoats and boots and went out into the garden. Noah filled his bucket with rainwater from the downpipe. He dug a river in the mud with his spade and made a lake and floated leaf boats on it. By lunchtime he was soaking wet and laughing.
At bedtime, Noah said, “I was really disappointed today.” “You were,” said Dad. “And then?” Noah smiled. “And then I made a river.” Dad turned off the light. “The beach will still be there next Saturday.” And Noah fell asleep, dreaming about leaf boats and the sea.
How do I help my child cope with disappointment?
Name the feeling, let them be sad without rushing to fix it, and stay close. Once the big wave has passed, you can help them think about what else they could do or what to look forward to. Children learn that disappointment passes by going through it with someone calm beside them.
Should I protect my child from disappointment?
Small disappointments with a loving grown-up nearby are part of how children learn to handle bigger ones later. You do not need to create them, but you also do not need to prevent every one. What helps most is how they are supported when it happens.