Our oldest son started preschool this year. I noticed his teacher has a sign that says "Be a bucket filler" and I wasn't sure what it meant. When I made him do something he didn't want, he'd say, "You're emptying my bucket, mommy!"
I had no idea what he meant by that. One night my husband and I were having a disagreement and he came into our room and said, "You guys are dipping into each other's buckets!"
As a gift, his teacher sent home the gift for Liam to keep. I read it to him and suddenly, it all made sense.
Amazon.com describes the book as "Through simple prose and vivid illustrations, this heartwarming book encourages positive behavior as children see how rewarding it is to express daily kindness, appreciation, and love. Bucket filling and dipping are effective metaphors for understanding the effects of our actions and words on the well being of others and ourselves."
Now that I know the concept, whenever Liam misbehaves, I say, "Liam, you're being a bucket dipper," and he apologizes. When he does something good, I say, "Thank you, honey, you've just filled mommy's bucket!"
"Have You Filled A Bucket Today" is a great book with an easy to understand concept for young and old. If you haven't read it, you should. And before you know it, you'll be a bucket filler.
This is great for spouses too! They made practice this in premarital counseling.
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