Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Have You Filled Your Bucket Today?

"The author of Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? Carol McCloud first learned about bucket filling in a parenting workshop at an early childhood conference. The speaker an expert in infant brain research, said it is helpful to think of every baby as being born with an invisible bucket. The bucket represents a child's mental and emotional health. You can't see the bucket, but it's there. She went on to say that it is primarily the parents' or other caregivers' responsibility to fill a child's bucket. When you hold, caress, nurture, touch, sing, play, and provide loving attention, safety and care, you fill your child's bucket. Giving love fills buckets."

"However, in addition to being loved, children must also be taught how to love others. Children who learn how to express kindness and love lead happier lives. When you love and care about others and show that love with what you say and do, you feel good and you fill your own bucket too."

Today we read, Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? to teach the children how to be bucket fillers. After we read the book we discuss what they might say or do to fill someones bucket. They naturally grasped the concept of filling buckets. The children raised their hand to share how they have already filled buckets of family and friends!

  • Isaiah -"I tell my Mom I love her every morning."
  • Oliver- "I helped Aaron build today."
  • Eric- "I always tell my Dad I love him."
  • Aden- "I always tell my Mom I love her."
  • Lauri -"Cooking for Rosie's Place is a great way to be a bucket filler!"

Tomorrow we will continue our discussion on how to fill buckets!




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3 comments:

  1. Michele MarkleyMarch 22, 2011 at 7:04 PM

    I've never read that book but I love it anyways. At day camp this year, the kids decorated buckets and wrote kind notes for each other and filled their buckets. At my school, one of the kindergarten classes teams up with their 4th grade buddies and reads this book and then does a similar activity! Love it! It is clear from everything we have seen from this class that they are sure to be exceptional bucket fillers!

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  2. Stephanie FoxMarch 23, 2011 at 6:44 PM

    Last night, I got upset with Teddy and was putting him in time out when he looked right at me through tears and said, "Mom, when a parent gets mad at their child, they are not filling their child's bucket or their own." I was completely blown away and had to stop, sit down and say, "Tell me more." He explained how everyone has an invisible bucket and when you do something nice, you fill the other persons bucket and your own. But when you do something not nice, you empty the other person's bucket and your own too. Teddy told me he learned this at school. I meant to email you last night Lauri and tell you this... i'm so glad it was in the Blog today, now I know about the book. As for Teddy's time out, it truly became a teachable moment where Teddy taught me something new! I will never forget that. Thank you so much for inspiring him.

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  3. SheriGMarch 23, 2011 at 8:29 PM

    Aden told me about the buckets, too...and he rarely tells me anything about school. This book really had an impact! Love it.

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