'The Rainbow Connection' and its message of hope in the wake of Melbourne's fourth lockdown

By Vanessa Parsons

As Melbourne comes out of its fourth lockdown and many other states and territories are entering lockdown or face the possibility of lockdown, 'The Rainbow Connection' remains as relevant to young children today, as the day it was written.

It is well documented that our childhood experiences affect out behaviour and personality long into adulthood, even if we are unaware of the existence of this connection. Our children have experienced unprecedented change and uncertainly over the past sixteen months. They have missed out on so many normal childhood experiences, such as school, visiting relatives/friends, birthday parties and sport. We have asked them to adapt quickly to a changing world and to cope with heightened levels of anxiety in the community.

It’s important that we continue to give our children ongoing opportunities to discuss and process their lockdown experiences. Highly relatable and engaging, 'The Rainbow Connection' provides the perfect vehicle for children to discuss their own unique experience. Children are eager to discuss how their experiences are the same or different to the characters in the book and with gentle questioning can be prompted to discuss how they are feeling. 

Most importantly, 'The Rainbow Connection' focuses on the concept of gratitude and the belief that no matter what is happening in our lives, there is always something to be grateful for. Feeling gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with increased levels of happiness, reduced levels of stress, better health, and stronger relationships. It’s a great skill to teach our children that gratitude is always an option, especially in the midst of adversity.