Yesterday, our grade level took the students on a field trip. I love sitting amongst the students quietly, just eavesdropping on their little conversations. I must admit, I was a bit aghast hearing them talk about houses as we drove past neighborhoods on the bus.
"Is that your house?"
"No! Mine is MUCH bigger."
"I want a huge house like that someday!"
"Oh, I feel sorry for those people. Look at that little house."
"That one is small! It's not very good."
My minimalist tendencies were screaming silently, "NOOO! It's not about big houses, lawns, and lots of stuff!" Finally, I felt I could enter the conversation in a casual way.
"How would you like to mow that entire lawn?"
"No way! They'd have to pay me a ton of money for that chore."
Pay you??? My point was foiled. I tried again.
"The only thing with huge houses is you have to clean it all and it's a lot of work."
They had to think about that one. Score one for "less is more" indoctrination.
As we place less emphasis on stuff and material things, keeping only what we use or love, we are setting a good example for the children in our lives.
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