Preschool students drawing flowering trees on campus

Things Aren't Always What They Are Cracked Up To Be

On Earth Day, first graders collected trash
from around the campus.

When my wife and I spent time in a Ghanaian village with our youngest daughter a number of summers ago, we found a richness in the village experience and its strong social network that we do not have at home. This was a village without electricity or adequate health care and with only limited educational opportunities. In 2010, a New York Times article explored how many Ghanaians who have moved to the U.S. arrange to have their children return to Ghana for an extended visit just so they can be exposed to the positive values of life in the village during their formative years. Assuming the basic needs of adequate food, health care and safety are met, people in other cultures around the world are often measured as happier than relatively wealthier Americans.

However, part of our American culture is the expectation that happiness comes from possessing things. We seem to be wired to think that having things will make us feel good—even better, if they happen to be things that are “in”—and everyone will want to be like us. Time and again I have been disappointed that having the object of my desire has been less satisfying than initially anticipated.

In the past decade, respected scientists have gathered extensive data, validating the teachings of world religions, that access to wealth and the possession of things are not the best predictors of happiness. In fact, there seems to be a negative correlation between wealth and happiness. According to Dr. Martin Seligman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the founder of the “positive psychology” movement, what emerges as the best routes to happiness are being engaged in meaningful work, discovering and using ones talents for the benefit of others, having a rich social network and avoiding negative events or emotions. The things that we work for, create ourselves and share with others are what are most satisfying. Often the journey leading up to the “thing,” event or accomplishment is what is most memorable and most valued.

What can parents do to help their children become happy

Using a dandelion stem to blow bubbles.

 adults? While it is natural for us to want our children to be happy, and those who are able often want to spare them no advantage, it is important to keep in mind that relationships are more important than things. Things acquired have limited value, and things intended to make an individual happy often seem empty. Saving for a new piece of clothing by doing chores will make it more valuable, and choosing which piece of clothing it will replace so it can be donated to charity makes it priceless. Although it is easy to pay someone to plant beautiful plants in our own backyard, think of the difference when a parent, working with their child and his or her friends, plants flowers from seed and then together create a beautiful garden in a public place. 

Creating pleasing patterns together
during indoor recess

Photographer Peter Menzel created a wonderful book Material World: A Global Family Portrait back in the ’90s, traveling to 30 countries around the world to capture families with most of their possessions. Using data from United Nations and the World Bank, he searched for “average” families — average in location, size, background, and occupation. Click here to check out the resulting, slightly dated but fascinating portraits to see what sort of a material world we’re living in. Below is one of the portraits. This book can provide a means to begin discussions with your children about things, happiness and difference in cultures, geography and circumstance.

The possessions of a typical family from Mali

Remember that Thursday, May 2nd will be a dress-up day in honor of the Fifth Grade Opera!

Hi my name is Nick.G from the fifth grade.  I interviewed our production manager who is Alexandra, and  I am going to tell you about what Alexandra has been doing. She said that part of her job is to walk around and observe what people are doing in their jobs. She also said that her job is about supervising everyone and making sure everything goes well in the production of the opera. Alexandra said her favorite part of her job is seeing what the other jobs are all about.  Alexandra has a lot of responsibility.  On the night of the opera, Alexandra will be in charge of the opera and must make sure that everything goes smoothly.  The cast will not be able to ask any of our teacher/advisers for help, only Alexandra.  Thank you for reading all the PR officers’ interviews about all the opera jobs this year.   We can’t wait for our opera this week!  Hope you get to see it.  

Below is a video of fourth graders singing 

in science class

Photos from the Talent Show