BLOG: After Spring Break, Seeing Old Friends

Why is it so much fun for Evergreen children to come back to school after spring break?  The thrill of seeing old friends is as strong for three year olds as it for adults. Happiness is directly tied to our relationships in life.  There is nothing like being surrounded by loved ones, as we saw on Esteemed Elders’ Day.

In her best-selling book, Raising Happiness, Christine Carter writes about raising joyful children and creating happy adults.  Her book has been cited by experts as an authoritative guide to parenting.  Carter writes, “What is the key to happiness?  …our relationships with other people matter more than anything else.  Very happy people have stronger social relationships than less happy people…. Truly, our happiness and our relationships are so closely linked that they can practically be equated.”

We all recognize that it can be hard to raise children in the culture of affluence in Montgomery County. That’s why my favorite section of the book is about gratitude vs. entitlement. It takes concentrated effort and strategic planning to get children into the habit of practicing gratitude—especially when you consider that the average American child receives seventy toys per year! (p.68)

In addition, Carter’s book covers all the topics that are useful to parents: entitlement vs. gratitude, how to give praise, handling conflict, teaching optimism, the roots of materialism in children, and more.  In addition to her book, Carter even offers classes to parents and helps to organize discussion groups.  You can learn more on her website.  http://www.raisinghappiness.com/

John DeMarchi is the Head of School at Evergreen School, a Montessori School for children age 2 to grade 3.  Learn more at www.EvergreenSchool.com