We help children
tame their fear of blood tests.
The fear of the needle is real. But there is a way to tame it - before your child walks into the exam room. Together with Tosia the squirrel.
Sound familiar?
Your child before a blood test...
"Mom, will it hurt a lot? I don't want to go."
Fear of the unknownCrying already in the waiting room, before even entering the exam room.
Anticipatory anxietyThe sight of a needle, a white coat, or just the word "blood" sets off panic.
Sensory triggerAnd you don't know how to explain that it matters - and that they can do it.
Parental helplessness
The story about Tosia the squirrel was written for exactly this moment. It doesn't tell your child "don't be afraid" - because the fear is real. Instead, it teaches concrete tools: how to breathe, how to think of a safe place, what exactly will happen in the exam room. Step by step. In a language your child understands.
How does the story tame fear?
Blood is a river. The needle is a mouse's whisker.
In the story, Doctor Badger explains what a blood test is - in a language a 5-year-old will understand and remember. Because fear shrinks when we know what to expect.
Blood like a river
Blood flows through the whole body and carries important information with it. Under a microscope you can check whether everything is working as it should.
A needle like a mouse's whisker
Nurse Deer explains to Tosia that the needle is very, very thin - almost like a mouse's whisker. The little pinch lasts only a moment.
Just one little minute
Tosia asks: "Only a minute?" Yes - a few seconds of drawing blood, then a bandage and off you go home. Your child knows exactly what to expect.
Your safe place
During the pinch, Tosia closed her eyes and pictured her tree hollow - warm, with little birds outside the window. Your child has their own place. Help them find it.
Step by step
What happens in the exam room - no surprises.
The story walks your child through every stage of the test. Because the worst part is the fear of the unknown - not the pinch itself.
A soft band around the arm
The nurse puts a band on the arm to see the little vein better. It squeezes a bit - but it doesn't hurt at all.
Tosia felt a gentle squeeze. "But it didn't hurt at all."
A tiny pinch - and a deep breath
Nurse Deer says: "Now there will be a tiny pinch". She teaches Tosia to breathe calmly and think about blueberries - so her attention is somewhere else.
"Blueberries! They're so juicy and..." - and right then she felt a tiny pinch.
A few seconds of drawing blood
The blood flows into colorful tubes. It takes a few seconds - not minutes. Your child doesn't have to watch.
She breathed deeply and in her imagination she was in her safe, warm tree hollow.
A bandage and... all done
Nurse Deer puts on a bandage and praises Tosia. Mom gives her a hug. And that's it - your child walks out a forest hero.
"Really? Already?" - Tosia was surprised. "See, sweetheart? You did it!" - said her mom.
How Tosia's mom did it
4 things that reduce pain and stress.
Mama squirrel knew that preparation matters more than the test itself. You can do the same.
Plenty of water
A hydrated body = veins that are easier to see = a quicker, easier draw. In the evening and in the morning.
Short sleeves
A soft t-shirt with short sleeves - so baring the arm happens without tugging or extra stress.
Numbing gel
A patch or gel from the pharmacy - applied an hour before the visit. "A little protective shield for your skin."
A warm compress
A gel pack warmed up and held against the arm - warmth helps the veins show and calms your child before going in.
For parents
What to say - and what not to say - before the test.
The story teaches parents too. Because the words we choose matter.
Be honest - but calm
"It may hurt a little, but only for a short moment." The truth spoken in a calm voice gives your child a sense of control.
Allow the fear
Don't say "don't be afraid". Instead try: "It's completely normal to be scared. Everyone feels something before a test."
Give a choice - even a small one
"Do you want to sit on my lap or in the chair?" A small decision means a big sense of agency - especially for a young child.
Celebrate the courage afterwards
Don't say "see, it didn't hurt" - because it might have. Say: "You did something hard and you made it. You are a hero."
An exercise together with Tosia
A breath that calms.
Nurse Deer taught Tosia exactly this before the pinch. You can practice together - now, at home, before the big day comes.
Forest breathing - together with Tosia
Press start
A deep breath in through the nose, then slowly out through the mouth.
Listen together - before you walk into the exam room.
The story works best a day or two before the test. In the car, in the evening before bed, or in the morning on the day of the visit.
Who is behind this?
Open Tales × K.I.D.S.
The story about Tosia grew out of a real need - so that children in Polish children's hospitals can go through medical tests with less fear.
A foundation turning Polish children's hospitals into warm, child-friendly places - so procedures like a blood draw stress young patients less.
kids.org.pl →Open Tales
A platform of therapeutic audio tales made by child psychologists. This is where Tosia's story was born, teaching a child calm before a blood draw.
opentales.ai →
Justyna Rokicka
A certified psychotherapist and Open Tales co-creator. Author of the story about Tosia - she eases a child's fear of the needle and the blood draw.
godzinadlasiebie.pl →