Raising children with a content heart

After today's events my heart and brain are going a million miles a minute.  Unanswerable questions that my heart wants to answer.

First of all I want to know how to raise children with content hearts... being content not complacent in what ever situation they are in as Paul says.  I have noticed how the simplest things like jump ropes are an interesting new toy for the children and adults here.  Yet when one is given... they remind me of the birds from Finding Nemo... Mine, Mine, Mine!  I know they call this 'survival of the fittest' but in situations like this where you cannot give every child one how do you teach the biblical principles of thinking of others before yourself and doing to others as you would want to be treated.  Or to give one child something as simple as a pair of slippers because theirs have been nailed together so many times they won't hold any more nails and the child can't take a step without part of it falling off.  I gave one child a pair of slippers only to find "everyone" had issues with their shoes.  Since I did  not bring 60 pairs of slippers or shoes... how do you solve this situation as everyone truly does have a need of sorts?

We (Pastor Jackson, Nurse Josephine,  the teachers and myself) introduced brushing teeth with the chidren today many who have never owned a toothbrush.  Not because their families can't afford it but just because it is not viewed as a necessity.   As I was assisting them to rinse out their mouths and toothbrushes there was a lot of coaxing to get them to stop brushing.  For our US children brushing teeth is something that must be done...an expectation to be hurried through. These village children would have continued to brush their teeth all afternoon if I had let them.  (I am sure this novelty will wear off but I am curious how to teach someone to go back and be content with the simple things in life instead of to expect more!)

My goal is to not create children who are demanding and selfish but content and thinking of others before themselves.  I am sure some of that will come when I learn more of their language but any suggestions would be helpful!