Waiting can be hard for young children. Whether it’s waiting for a parent’s attention, waiting for their turn, or waiting for something exciting, those moments can quickly turn into frustration.
That’s why stories about waiting can help in a quiet way. Instead of explaining or correcting, a story lets children see familiar feelings through a character they can relate to.
This short children’s story is written for kids aged 4 to 8. It focuses on a simple, everyday situation and shows how a child learns to handle waiting without getting upset. You can read it aloud at bedtime or during calm moments.
The Waiting Game
Milo loved to talk.
He talked when he was happy, when he was bored, and especially when he had something important to say. And today, he had something very important to say.
Milo was sitting at the kitchen table, swinging his legs back and forth. He had built a tower out of blocks, taller than his water bottle, taller than his favorite teddy. It wobbled a little, but it was still standing.
“Mama,” Milo said. “Mama, look.”
Mama was standing by the counter, holding her phone. Her eyebrows were squished together the way they got when she was thinking hard.
“One second, Milo,” she said softly.
Milo waited. At least, he tried to.
He watched Mama tap the screen. He cleared his throat.
“Mama,” he said again, louder this time. “Look at my tower.”
“Just a moment,” Mama said, still not turning around.
Milo’s legs stopped swinging. His chest felt tight. The tower was right there. What if it fell? What if Mama missed it?
He stood up. “Mama, it’s really big.”
Mama nodded but didn’t look yet.
Milo’s face grew warm. His hands curled into little fists. He felt a buzz inside him, like a balloon filling up too fast.
“She never listens,” he thought. “I’m waiting forever.”
The blocks suddenly didn’t feel fun anymore.
Milo plopped back into his chair with a huff. His foot bumped the table leg. The tower shook but stayed up.
He crossed his arms and stared at the floor.
Then he noticed something small.
On the fridge was a magnet shaped like a frog. Milo liked that frog. It always looked like it was smiling, even when nothing exciting was happening.
Milo took a slow breath, the kind that made his shoulders move. He didn’t know why he did it. It just happened.
He looked back at his tower. It was still there.
He tapped one block gently with his finger. Still standing.
Milo picked up a tiny blue block and added it carefully to the top. The tower leaned. Milo froze. He held his breath.
It stayed.
A small smile crept onto his face.
Mama was still on the phone.
Milo sighed, but this time it came out quieter. He slid off the chair and sat on the floor instead. He lined up the extra blocks by color. Red with red. Blue with blue.
He hummed a little tune he made up on the spot. It didn’t have words. It didn’t need them.
The balloon feeling in his chest shrank.
After a while, Mama’s phone made a soft click sound. She turned around.
“Milo,” she said. “I’m ready now.”
Milo looked up. For a moment, he almost felt like saying, “You took too long.” But the words stayed inside.
He pointed instead. “I made it taller,” he said.
Mama walked over and knelt beside him. Her eyes widened.
“That’s amazing,” she said. “You kept working on it.”
Milo nodded. He felt something warm spread through him, warmer than before.
“Can you watch this time?” he asked.
“I’m watching,” Mama said.
Milo added one last block. The tower leaned again, just a little, and then settled.
“There,” he said.
Mama clapped quietly. “You did it.”
Milo sat back on his heels and looked at the tower. He wasn’t smiling big. He wasn’t jumping around. He just felt steady.
Later that afternoon, Milo and Mama went to the park. A boy was already on the swing Milo liked best. Milo opened his mouth to shout, then stopped.
He watched the swing go back and forth. He dragged his shoe through the dirt. He picked up a stick and drew a wiggly line.
When the boy hopped off, Milo climbed on.
Mama caught his eye and smiled.
Milo smiled back, just a little.
Waiting still wasn’t his favorite thing. But now, he knew what to do while it happened.
Sometimes, learning to wait calmly takes time. If your child also struggles with staying calm in moments like these, you might like this short story about learning patience in everyday situations.
If you enjoyed this story, visit Storyender for values-based stories for kids. Each story helps children learn important life lessons in a gentle and fun way.
