Emma learns that waiting for her turn on the slide can be hard, but with a little help, she discovers the calm and proud feeling of being patient.
The sun was shining on the playground. Emma saw the big, curly slide. "Wheee!" she thought, and her feet started to run. But when she got closer, she saw something that made her tummy feel funny. There was a line! Other children were already waiting for their turn. Emma's happy run turned into a slow, disappointed walk. She really, really wanted to go down right now.
"I don't want to wait!" Emma said, her voice sounding wobbly. She crossed her arms and felt a frown growing on her face. Just then, Ms. Maya, who was watching nearby, walked over. She knelt down so she was at Emma's height. "Waiting can feel so tricky, can't it?" Ms. Maya said with a gentle smile. Emma nodded, her eyes on the slide.
"Let's look at the line together," said Ms. Maya. "Can you help me count how many friends are ahead of you?" Emma looked. "One... two," she counted, pointing to Leo and then Sofia. "Two friends," said Ms. Maya. "Your turn is right after Sofia's. It's coming!" Knowing where she was in line made the wait feel a little less huge.
"While we wait, let's give our bodies something calm to do," Ms. Maya suggested. "Let's take a slow, balloon breath." She put a hand on her belly. Emma copied her. They breathed in slowly, imagining filling a big, colorful balloon. Then they let the air out with a soft, "whoosh." Emma's shoulders relaxed just a tiny bit.
"What can our hands do while we wait?" Ms. Maya wondered. Emma looked at her own hands, which wanted to fidget. "They can be quiet in our pockets," she said, sliding them in. "Or," said Ms. Maya, "they can hold your bunny friend." Emma hugged her stuffed bunny tight. Having a job for her hands helped her feel more steady.
Emma practiced her patient words in a whisper. "My turn is coming soon," she told her bunny. "I can wait. I can be calm." She saw Leo climb up the ladder. He zoomed down the slide with a happy shout! Emma watched him land in the soft mulch. "His turn looked fun," she thought.
Now it was Sofia's turn. Emma watched closely. Sofia waved from the top, then swooshed down, her pigtails flying behind her. "Wheee!" Sofia yelled, just like Emma had wanted to. Emma saw how Sofia waited for her turn, then got to enjoy it. Watching helped Emma see how the line worked for everyone.
Sofia ran off to the swings. The line was empty! Emma's heart did a little hop. She looked at Ms. Maya, who gave her an encouraging nod. "It's your turn, Emma!" Ms. Maya said. All that waiting was over. The slide was waiting just for her.
Emma walked to the ladder. She climbed up, one step at a time. At the top, she could see the whole playground. She sat down at the top of the curly slide. The sun felt warm on her back. She was ready.
Emma pushed off! She whirled around the curves of the slide, the wind tickling her cheeks. "Wheeeeeee!" she cheered, her voice full of joy. It was even more fun than she had imagined. The ride was over too soon, and she landed with a gentle bump.
Emma stood up, dusting off her overalls. She ran back to Ms. Maya, a huge smile on her face. "I did it! I waited, and then I slid!" she said, her chest feeling big and proud. "You were so patient and calm," said Ms. Maya. Emma hugged her bunny. Waiting had been hard, but the proud, happy feeling at the end was the very best part.
