How to be a "Bucket Filler"

Carol McCloud is the author of Have You Filled a Bucket Today?  "She first learned about bucketfilling in a parenting workshop at an early childhood conference in the1990's.  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, safely and care, you fill your child's bucket."

Carol goes on to say, "However, in addition to being loved, children must also be taught how to love.  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."

Carol says she wrote Have You Filled a Bucket Today? to teach young children how to be bucket fillers. Each time we read the book with the children, we use it as an opportunity to model bucketfilling by filling their buckets.  We help them think about what they might say it do to fill someones else's bucket.  We will continue to work with the children and help them practice daily bucketfilling. 

As you can see in the above photos they are already ready experiencing the pride and joy of filling buckets.  Josh reached out to Noah on the way to down to the Community Room and said,  "Let's hold hands."  Noah smiled, reached out his hand and said, "Yes, let's hold hand."    Zach saw that Lily was having trouble getting her magnatile structure to stay up, so he offered to help.   Daily Micah G thinks of his mom and takes the time to write her special notes.   Last week Josie was having trouble stirring the pumpkin muffins...the dough was thick and hard to mix.   Elias heard Josie ask for help and started stirring the dough for her.  We sure are have fun filling buckets!

This book is a must have for you library at home!  The whole family will love filling buckets!