STORY 81
BLOWING AWAY PAIN: A KID STORYTherapeutic Characteristics
Problems Addressed
■ Pain
■ Hurting without support figures present
■ Medical treatment
■ Lack of pain management skillsResources Developed
■ Learning a new skill
■ Learning to shift focus of attention
■ Focusing on pleasure rather than pain
■ Discriminating and developing fine behavioral skills
■ Enjoying successOutcomes Offered
■ Pain management strategies
■ Self-initiated management skills
■ Ability to shift attention
Have you ever learned to blow bubbles? I was teaching my granddaughter recently. We got a
piece of wire and twisted it into a circle, put some dishwashing liquid into a plastic cup, and dipped
the wire circle in until it was coated with the liquid. She held the ring of wire up to her mouth and
blew. At first she blew too hard, and the liquid just ran down the wire onto her fingers. As she learned
to blow gently, several big bubbles formed and floated off into the air. She was excited. They sparkled
in the light. She tried to catch, watched them pop, and giggled. It was a good thing that she had
learned something new, something fun, because I didn’t know what was about to happen a little while
later.
She fell over and hurt her knee rather badly. Of course, a cut knee may not be as bad as the pain
someone has if they are really sick, have broken a bone, or need to go into a hospital. But when you’re
young, and your mother isn’t there, and your knee is hurting, and blood is running down your leg,
it can be pretty scary.
I needed to bathe her knee, apply some antiseptic, and put on a bandage, but it hurt and she
didn’t want me to touch it. Tears rolled down her little cheeks. She was frightened it might hurt even
more.
I remembered how she’d laughed and giggled when she’d blown the bubbles, so, before I started
to patch up the wound, I went and got our little wire ring and detergent. As she dipped in the ring,
held it front of her mouth, and breathed out slowly, a big, big bubble started to form. It glistened in
the light. She watched it float into the air, her eyes drying and a smile creeping on to her face. She
learned that if she blew faster she could blow a whole stream of bubbles that floated away until they
194 Healing Stories, Teaching Stories