Bucket Fillers - WoW

First 3 pictures are from
Bucket Fillers

I have a new hangout
B is for books

It is a wonderful, new children's bookstore with big cushy chairs and lots of looking space!! I was thrilled when on the Local Author's table there was a bunch of papers stapled together into a book, with tentative writing and simple pictures. The author was proud of his or her (first) published book and asked for it to be displayed. The owner of the store understood that a writer is a writer no matter the age or level!! When we celebrate those early attempts kids are so motivated to keep writing. Kudos to the owner!!

A few days ago I placed an order for some books including the one above. There was a casual reference to it on a second grade sharing site and I wanted to check it out. Within 5 minutes of reading the book I was on a crusade!

This book needs to be in every home and every classroom up to grade 4!! It is very simple yet profound. The premise is that when we are nice to people we fill their buckets and when we are mean, we dip into their buckets and take stuff out. Pretty basic. Some people are fillers some are dippers.

The book beautifully demonstrates that as you are filling buckets, yours is also being filled and when you are draining buckets yours is also being drained. The initial concept is a common understanding which children need to be taught. The second concept is one that many adults don't understand. Sometimes people use the words "I needed to relieve stress." when talking about yelling at their wife, kicking the dog or bullying the next door neighbor. Those statements reveal a lack of understanding of bucket filling!!

(This is another book by the same author but I have not read it.)

Several years ago, I attended a "Getting Rid of Stress" conference. Did you know that one of the easiest ways to relieve stress is to be kind to others? (Hmmmm ~ Golden Rule) As the leader was reviewing that core concept, a red faced, angry man (with issues) argued with her and loudly told her she was wrong. As we all squirmed in our seats, she stayed calm.

Quietly, like you would at story hour with preschoolers, she began to tell a story about a man in a first class seat on a plane. Everything seemed to be going wrong, and he was in the middle of it. The attendant dumped a coke in his lap, the lady next to him demanded she wanted the isle, someone kicked his Walkman (I told you it was a while ago) and on it went.

"What would you do?" she asked. "What choices do you have when you have been wronged?"

She explained the physical effects on your body depending on the choice you make. If you choose to yell and abuse the attendant - stress hormones flood your body. If you choose to stay calm and help others - endorphins flood your body. You have the choice.

She then went on to ask "If you really wanted to beat up the kid down the street, and you knew that automatically you would receive the same beating, would your desire be diminished?" Most of us can dismiss this because we have never been tempted to beat anyone up but wait...

Or, (pause) lets say the teenage cashier at the grocery store is really slow and annoying. It seems like she isn't even trying. You are just about to give her a piece of your mind when you remember that the same berating tone and angry words you hurl at her will be hurled right back at you within the week. Would you hold your tongue?

But it doesn't work quite that way. We aren't aware of our bucket being emptied.

Food for Thought!!

Back to the book ~~while the premise of

Have You Filled a Bucket Today?

may be simple,

it is one that is really needed in our world!!
Wouldn't you love it if some
"dippers" you know understood
the power of their words and actions.?

Let me know how you like the book!!!
Link to book on Amazon

Mrs. Walker's Frog-tastic Website has great information about using the book with kids. The following 2 pictures were from her classroom.


I am going to read this the first day of school. I'll let you know what we do with it!