Easing children’s anxiety: A simple practice

Calming children in times of anxiety and worry. This ritual has developed out of our work in helping children deal with challenging, sad or distressing news, such as times like this where many in Australia are affected by natural disaster and the Caronavirus. We have found it to be a wonderful blessing for children, a comfort for their parents and a way to stay connected with loved ones.

You can take as long or as little time with this ritual as seems appropriate for the age of the child. This ritual is wonderful for children from the age of about 3.

One simple way you can build a feeling of positive connection in your child is by ‘wrapping them in a rainbow’ at night before they go to sleep. This ritual instils a sense of loving connection and safety – connecting them heart-to-heart to the people they care about with a rainbow.

Using this ritual at night will help children feel a sense of loving connection.

This ritual has been used by tens of thousands of families for many different purposes to instil a sense of loving connection and safety. It puts an end to nightmares and helps with sleep, anxiety or feelings of fretting children may feel when separated from parents and siblings when starting school.

One of the great benefits of wrapping children in a rainbow is having the opportunity to ask them where they would like to send a rainbow before they go to sleep. This lets them share something about their worry or concern. They can send a rainbow to a relative or friend who might be unwell or to a parent who might not live with them.

Sending rainbows is a way for children to feel they’ve made a positive contribution rather than feeling helpless in upsetting situations.

THE RAINBOW RITUAL

When a child is ready for sleep, ask them to snuggle down into a comfortable position so that you can wrap them up in a rainbow. You can ask the child to close their eyes so that they can imagine better.

• Running your hand lightly over the whole of their body, from the top of their head to the tips of their toes, ask the child to imagine that you’re wrapping them up in a cloud of red – the colour of tomatoes and fire engines.
• You can ask the child if they can see the colour – children can always visualise colours.
• Next, still running your hand lightly over their body, you ask the child to imagine that you’re wrapping them up in a cloud of orange – the colour of oranges, marigolds and nasturtiums.
• Next, you wrap them in a cloud of yellow – the colour of wattle, daffodils and golden warm sunshine on a bright sunny day.
• Then the colour green – the colour of spring leaves and new mown grass. All the while running your hand lightly over the body of the child.
• Next you wrap the child in the colour of blue – the colour of the clear blue sky on a sun filled day or the colour of the ocean. You can ask the child again if they’re able to see the colours.
• Then the colour of indigo – the colour of the night sky behind the stars.
• Then you wrap the child in the colour violet – the colour of little sweet-smelling violets peeping out amongst the flowers in the garden.
• Finally, place your hand over the child’s heart and get them to visualise as strongly as they can a rainbow that starts in their heart and that comes out through the air and connects with your heart (placing your hand over your heart). Tell the child that this rainbow keeps the two of you connected all through the night.

You can make up a prayer or a poem to go with the ritual. A popular one is:

I wrap you in a rainbow of light to care for you all through the night. Your guardian angel watches from above and showers you with her great love.

After connecting up by rainbow with you, the child might like to send rainbows to loved ones or friends in need of love or support. They can send them to people they’re separated from by distance, divorce, illness or death. Children can be wrapped in rainbows before they’re separated from you for any reason – beginning pre or primary school, leaving for camp, staying with friends or grandparents.

RAINBOWS CAN BE USED IN A MYRIAD OF CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE CHILDREN EXPERIENCE ANXIETY

When passing a car accident, instead of becoming distressed about it, instead visualise that you’re all under one end of a rainbow breathing in the iridescent colour and peace of the rainbow then extend the other end of the rainbow to those in need.

Imagine your love and blessings flowing over the rainbow, like fairy dust, bringing peace and calmness so that what needs to get done gets done quietly and efficiently.

Rainbows can be sent to those affected by fires, disasters or other distressing situations which often leave children (and ourselves) feeling helpless. They can be sent between family members if someone is feeling sooky, sick or overwhelmed. They can be sent for exams, medical tests or treatments.

Don’t be surprised to see rainbows appear in a clear blue sky, outside a hospital window or in totally unexpected places.

IF YOU HAVE A RAINBOW STORY YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US, PLEASE DO

Please contact us at the Quest for Life Centre if we can be of any assistance to yourself or a member of your family or if you need a rainbow sent to someone you love or yourself.

RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN

• Download a copy of the  Rainbow Ritual (308 KB)
• Video: Recovering from Trauma series Part 1: Children and Trauma
• Quest for Life also sells a range a range of valuable resources to feel connected to others and help deal with life’s challenges. View our Rainbow products