🩺Doctor Visit Hero
Last time there was a needle. This time might be different, but they don't trust it. All they remember is that it hurt.
What's actually happening
Medical anxiety affects approximately 20% of children and can begin as early as age 2 (Broome, 1990). The fear is often procedural rather than medical — children aren't afraid of being ill, they're afraid of not knowing what will happen to their body. Wright & Campione-Barr (2012) found that lack of predictability was the strongest predictor of medical distress in children aged 3–7. Children who received age-appropriate preparation before medical procedures showed significantly lower distress and better cooperation.
What parents usually try
"It won't hurt"
If it does hurt (and it might), you've broken trust. Jaaniste et al. (2007) found that honest preparation — even about pain — produced less distress than false reassurance.
Surprising them (not mentioning the visit)
Removes anticipatory anxiety but replaces it with shock and betrayal. Predictability is protective (Wright & Campione-Barr, 2012).
Offering bribes for bravery
"If you're brave, you get ice cream" implies that being scared is a failure. Reframing bravery as feeling scared and going anyway is more helpful.
What actually helps
Bibliotherapy provides a rehearsal of the experience in a safe context. The story walks through each step of a doctor visit — checking in, waiting, each instrument — so the child has a mental map before they arrive. This mirrors the clinical technique of procedural preparation, which Jaaniste et al. (2007) identified as one of the most effective interventions for paediatric medical anxiety. The story character feels nervous, asks questions, and discovers that knowing what comes next makes it manageable.
How this story works
Bibliotherapy reduces anxiety by replacing the unknown with the known. When children hear what to expect, the doctor's office shrinks from scary to familiar.
What your child hears
A character visits the doctor and learns what each step is for — the cold stethoscope, the ear-looker, the waiting. The story takes the mystery out and puts your child in control of knowing what comes next.
When to use this story
The day before a scheduled doctor or dentist appointment
After a negative medical experience, to reframe the next one
When the child starts expressing fear about upcoming check-ups
Before vaccinations or blood tests
As a general desensitisation story during non-medical times
After the story
The story is the beginning. Here's how to keep it going:
“What helped the character feel brave?”
“What can you do when you feel nervous?”
“Who can you hold onto?”
Try this
Practice deep breaths or role-play with toy doctor kit
The research behind this approach(show)
Therapeutic stories for life transitions like potty training, school anxiety, and new siblings.
- Shechtman, Z. (2009). Treating Child and Adolescent Aggression Through Bibliotherapy. Springer.
- Pardeck, J. T. (1994). Using literature to help adolescents cope with problems. Adolescence.
- Heath, M. A., et al. (2005). Bibliotherapy: A resource to facilitate emotional healing. School Psychology International.