Navigating the In-Between with the EMBRACE Squad 🌱
Anticipation is a natural part of growing up. Children experience it whenever they are waiting for what comes next: a school trip, a birthday, a visit from a friend, the result of a test, or a change in routine. These moments of waiting can bring excitement, hope, and curiosity, but they can also trigger worry, restlessness, and impatience.
Learning to navigate anticipation is an important part of children’s emotional development. The “in-between” moments, when something is about to happen but has not happened yet, can feel emotionally intense. For many children, the waiting itself can be harder than the event they are waiting for.
As part of the EMBRACE #KnowEmotions campaign, we explore emotions through the lens of psychologist Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions. Within this model, anticipation is one of the core emotions. It is closely connected to imagining the future, preparing for upcoming situations, and orienting ourselves toward what is coming next. Anticipation sits opposite distraction on the emotional wheel, highlighting its role in focus and forward-looking attention.
In our new animation, Maya, Ana, Dusty, and Sparky experience the ups and downs of waiting together. Each character reacts differently to anticipation. Some feel excited and full of energy, while others become nervous or restless. Through their shared experience, they learn that anticipation can feel uncomfortable, but it becomes easier to manage when emotions are named and when support is available from others.
These moments reflect what many children experience in real life:
- 🌀 A child learns that waiting can bring mixed emotions.
- 🤝 Friends show that uncertainty is easier when shared.
- 🌱 With support, anticipation can build patience, hope, and resilience.
Helping children recognize anticipation as an emotion gives them language for what they are feeling. When children can name anticipation, they are better able to understand their inner experiences and regulate their responses. This may include learning how to calm their bodies while waiting, expressing worries out loud, or finding constructive ways to stay engaged while something is still uncertain.
Anticipation also offers an opportunity to develop resilience. Waiting involves uncertainty, and uncertainty can feel uncomfortable. By learning that these feelings are normal and temporary, children build confidence in their ability to cope with situations that are not fully predictable. Over time, this strengthens emotional flexibility and supports mental well-being.
By promoting emotional literacy, participatory learning, and resilience, EMBRACE supports children, families, and educators in navigating emotions connected to waiting, change, and uncertainty. Anticipation becomes not only an emotion to manage, but also a space for learning patience, self-awareness, and trust in one’s ability to face what comes next.
👉 Watch the new video here:
English: https://youtu.be/Xa8NaruPbx4
Romanian: https://youtu.be/l7S92nzF7hI
“A man who suffers before it is necessary, suffers more than necessary.” – Seneca.
Funding Agency: EACEA – European Education and Culture Executive Agency
Learn more about EMBRACE: embrace-future.eu
