Last week we read How Full is Your Bucket written by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer. In this story, the authors explain kindness in a way that is a bit whimsical yet easily understood by children. Felix, the main character, is a young boy whose grandpa explains that everyone has an invisible bucket floating above their heads. Small things throughout the day can drain your bucket (DRIP) or fill your bucket (DROP). When our buckets are empty, we feel sad, bad, upset, frustrated, or angry. When our buckets are full, we feel content, happy, excited, and helpful. When you help others or show them kindness, both parties receive a “DROP” in their bucket- helping to make them both full! We also know how to look for people whose buckets may need a few extra drops and show them kindness.
To supplement the reading of our story, we created buckets to display as a reminder in our classroom. Each student received a different color construction paper to rip into small “DROPS” to place into their bucket. To make sure they had a rainbow of drops, students were asked to trade their pieces for the different colored drops of their classmates. All students had the full spectrum of colors after sharing with their friends! I would challenge each family to discuss the lesson in How Full is Your Bucket and see how the language can be implemented into your routines at home. You can access an online reading of the story by clicking here.