One value in the Greystone House universe that can easily be argued to be something other than a value is joy. Joy is an emotion or a feeling – right? By definition it is an emotion of great delight or happiness or the expression of a glad feeling. So why include joy in a list of values that we seek to imbue the children with if it is in fact not a value? This is precisely the conversation my wife and I found ourselves in when revisiting how we do “Greystone House things” earlier this week. Ultimately, we kept it in since in our way of thinking, joy is a reflection of living a value laden, productive, and, ultimately fulfilling life. While the sources of our joy may differ, there are many common ways we can find it.
In the US and in some other countries there is an overarching mindset that tells us that by first setting and then achieving our goals we will find joy. But data from numerous sources as well as (in our case at least) personal experience tells us this bit of folk wisdom is largely horse hockey. Many goals we see people chasing after seem to stem from external sources – not from the person themself. Moreover, these goals do not seem to align with any sort of value that we can attach ourselves to personally. Thankfully we see joy on the faces of children every day and we suggest there is something that we adults can learn from that.
– Be an adventurer. Trying and discovering new things frequently leads to unexpected sources of joy. One of the big goals of our food program is to present children with a variety of healthy tastes and textures they may not otherwise come across in a school setting. It turns out that some of these healthy foods bring about some enormous grins as well as some lunch table glee.
– Be physically present. If there is one thing the playground has taught us it is that there is no substitute for real friends. Turn off or outright delete your social media accounts and connect with others in more meaningful ways. Even with the current state of things we can all place a phone call, sit out in the yard with neighbors, and go for a walk with friends.
– Stop and smell the roses. On a playground where a group of four year olds have just run by in a frantic game of chase, sometimes we find another child in the sandpit crouched and staring intently at the roly poly making its way to its next destination. Almost inevitably the child in the sandpit has as big of a grin as the runners. Rather than completing that power walk in record time, perhaps take a ten minute bench break and breathe in a little fresh air. Who knows what you’ll discover?
– If it isn’t working, put it away and move on. One of the beautiful things about Montessori is the self-guided learning. One of the natural outcomes of this is that when a child encounters work they are not ready for they can simply put it away and find other work. What are you doing in your day to day life that isn’t working? Can you increase your joy by setting it aside for a bit?
– Break down problems into smaller, more manageable problems. Montessori work is designed to help the child succeed. One of the ways this is accomplished is by not complicating the work with too many extra distractions. The child can focus on succeeding at a single task and is rewarded with a sense of joy and self-esteem when they complete the work. What can you simplify in your day to day life and work to get joy from success?
We are fortunate at Greystone House. We found our passion in partnering with working families to educate young children. What we do every day is a source of joy to us. We hope you can find more of it in your lives as well.
