This week we read, “How Full is Your Bucket? For kids.” In this story, we learned that each of us has an invisible bucket we cart along with us everywhere. With each negative interaction or event drops of “water” drip out. When your bucket is empty, it can be hard to be kind or helpful. It can also make you feel sad or irritated. On the other hand, with every positive interaction or event, our bucket fills up. We also found out that when we are kind or helpful to others, not only do we refill their bucket, but add new drops to our own, too.
Some days, your bucket seems to be leaking like a sieve. Your alarm clock didn’t go off. You burnt the toast. Your dog stepped in the mud and then jumped on your pants as you walked out the door. All of these tiny little things take from your bucket. Children and adults are more quick to anger, irritate, judge, and outright react without thought when their bucket is empty.
We’ve been noticing when our buckets are losing water and when we can help fill another person’s bucket. Today on the playground, I saw children filling buckets by sharing binoculars, taking turns on the swing, helping others build once a building had collapsed, and by inviting friends to join them in play. If you notice your bucket is a bit low, try a small act of kindness. You’d be surprised how quickly it will fill back up.