If you stop to let me and my girls cross the street, you might notice my two girls waving madly at you. They’ve taken to waving and smiling at just about everyone. Why do they wave at the man on the street corner (dressed up like a chicken) who’s trying to convince you to come into his restaurant for chicken wings? And why is my 5-year-old suddenly making her bed without being asked?
The reason? The children’s book, Have you Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud.
When we were out and about recently with Nanny Jane, we popped into our local fave book store, Book People of Moscow, and the book nearly fell off the shelves and into our hands.
The book’s concept is that if you are nice and do something thoughtful, you’ll fill someone’s invisible bucket, thus making them happier, more content, more complete. Simple concept, right? My daughters completely, and unabashedly, ran with it.
I love the simple reminder to spend some time each day being thoughtful of what others need. Hmmm, this book could be required reading for adults as well.
Megan, what an awesome book and an awesome message. Isn’t it also so amazing how children just take to doing good for the world without a second thought? We are talking embrace with enthusiasm! That is very hard to get adults to do. How right you are that we would all benefit from jumping on board and filling the invisible bucket with kindness. Thanks for sharing!
I love this book! A few years back, the principal at the school where I work, bought this book for every teacher. We probably read it ten times through the year for our kindergarten class. The kids totally embraced it, and would start telling us when someone filled or emptied their bucket. They would ask us to read it again and again.