Building Anticipation

Carly Simon says that her classic 1971 hit "Anticipation" was inspired and written about Cat Stevens while waiting for him to come to her home for dinner. That kind of positive emotion even had Heinz ketchup use the song in one of their commercials. Remember waiting as the ketchup slowly comes out of the bottle. What a visual!

We just returned from a wonderful riverboat cruise in Europe. We sailed from Zurich to Amsterdam and toured interesting sites in Switzerland, France, Germany and Holland.

For me, part of the fun of any travel is the planning and the anticipation of having a great time with great friends. We usually start planning a year in advance so the excitement mounts as the time approaches. We read about the places we are going and learn about their history and culture.

I try to "anticipate" any possible problems and plan accordingly. That means arriving at the airport three hours before a flight and assuring at least three hours for any layover (I don't care what the airlines say!). Why worry about missing a flight because of an initial delay or long lines at Global Entry. It's always better to sit and relax at the airport rather than running to catch a connection. Of course a direct flight is always optimum but it can't always happen.

We can assure positive anticipation doesn't become dreaded anxiety for our children as well by making sure they are involved with the planning and implementation of any activity. It doesn't have to be a big event like a trip. It can be as simple as going out to dinner at a favorite restaurant or visiting a relative or trying out for a team or play. They can learn that they can make decisions that are right for them when it comes to planning.

We can assure that anticipating anything can be fun and exciting. The important thing is to know your and your children's limits to assure anticipation doesn't turn into anxiety.