Have You Filled Someone's Bucket Today?
The idea of Bucket Fillers is based on the book "Have You Filled A Bucket Today? (A Guide to Daily Happiness For Kids)" by Carol McCloud. The premise of the book is this... We all carry an invisible bucket that contains our feelings. When our bucket is full, we feel great. When our bucket is empty, we feel sad. A bucket filler is someone who says or does nice things for other people. By doing this, they are filling other people's buckets and filling their own bucket at the same time.
On the other hand, a bucket dipper says or does things to cause other people to feel bad. A bucket dipper empties their bucket when they say and do mean things.
In our classroom, each student has a bucket on our Bucket Filler bulletin board. Everyone is encouraged to fill the buckets by writing kind words and compliments to each other. At the end of the week, we will empty the buckets and read the nice things our friends left for us when they filled our buckets. At the end of the year the students will take their buckets home as a reminder to keep being a bucket filler! I am very excited to implement this new program in my classroom! I hope your child enjoys the journey towards becoming a life long bucketfiller.
BUCKET FILLING AT HOME
WHAT IS IT?
Bucket Filling program is a nationwide program designed to improve Social & Emotional learning at school. It is based on a simple concept where we each have an invisible bucket with the
singular purpose of holding good thoughts and feelings about ourselves. When we are happy and good to others, our buckets
become full. When we are sad or not nice to others, our buckets become empty. We become. "Bucket Fillers" when we are nice to others. Bucket Fillers fill both ours’ and others’ buckets. But when we make some one feel bad, we become "Bucket Dippers". Bucket Dippers dip into both of our buckets.
For more information about Bucket Filling, please visit http://www.bucketfillers101.com.
Inspired by its positive impact at school, I would like to extend this program at home as well. It is my hope
that by building on a concept already familiar with your child, we can encourage a life- long strategy for being a positive impact on others.
These ideas have been adapted from other teachers.. Feel free to adapt these ideas to fit your family’s style. These are simply suggestions.
WHAT IS IT?
Bucket Filling program is a nationwide program designed to improve Social & Emotional learning at school. It is based on a simple concept where we each have an invisible bucket with the
singular purpose of holding good thoughts and feelings about ourselves. When we are happy and good to others, our buckets
become full. When we are sad or not nice to others, our buckets become empty. We become. "Bucket Fillers" when we are nice to others. Bucket Fillers fill both ours’ and others’ buckets. But when we make some one feel bad, we become "Bucket Dippers". Bucket Dippers dip into both of our buckets.
For more information about Bucket Filling, please visit http://www.bucketfillers101.com.
Inspired by its positive impact at school, I would like to extend this program at home as well. It is my hope
that by building on a concept already familiar with your child, we can encourage a life- long strategy for being a positive impact on others.
These ideas have been adapted from other teachers.. Feel free to adapt these ideas to fit your family’s style. These are simply suggestions.
HOW TO "BUCKET FILL" AT HOME
SUPPLIES
1 container per child/participant (Clear buckets work well, but any jar, box or container will do)
1 storage container to hold tokens (Any type of sturdy token will do. Good tokens include marbles, pebbles, poker chips, even dry beans)
You could also use the Bucket Forms provided on this site.
BUCKET FILLING RULES
Each time you catch your child filling someone’s bucket, your child earns 1 token or slip.
Each time your child informs you about someone else filling their bucket, they will earn a token. If that other person is a sibling, they both earn a
token.
If you, the parent, notice an extraordinary
act of kindness, feel free to give Bonus Tokens to reward extra acts of kindness or generosity.
If you catch your child Bucket Dipping, you will remove a token.For siblings, if you catch your child being mean to their sibling, you will remove a token from the Dipper and give it to the other child.
Same rules apply for adults also participating in this program!
Each time you catch your child filling someone’s bucket, your child earns 1 token or slip.
Each time your child informs you about someone else filling their bucket, they will earn a token. If that other person is a sibling, they both earn a
token.
If you, the parent, notice an extraordinary
act of kindness, feel free to give Bonus Tokens to reward extra acts of kindness or generosity.
If you catch your child Bucket Dipping, you will remove a token.For siblings, if you catch your child being mean to their sibling, you will remove a token from the Dipper and give it to the other child.
Same rules apply for adults also participating in this program!
REWARDS LIST
Although many children will enjoy just earning tokens, most work better if these tokens can be cashed in for tangible rewards over a period of time. This allows the added benefit of reinforcing and sustaining positive behavior day by day.
Rewards should vary quite a bit. There ought to be easy ways to
earn rewards and ways that require effort, patience and delayed
gratification. Overall, try to minimize rewards that cost money. There can be a few, but let them be hard to earn. The best rewards are those that encourage positive relationship building.
Let the kids help with making a list of rewards to get them motivated. Once the list is ready, apply a
"price" for each reward. Prices range from 1 to 100. Once the child has cashed in their tokens for that reward, the tokens are put back in the storage container to be reused.
Sample Reward Ideas
Super Duper Hug
Reading a story with a parent
Getting to stay up an extra 30 minutes
Having a cup of hot chocolate alone with a parent
Playing a game with the family or a family member
Getting to choose what to have for dinner
Renting a special movie
Inviting a friend over for a play-date
Having a friend sleepover
Extra computer time
Although many children will enjoy just earning tokens, most work better if these tokens can be cashed in for tangible rewards over a period of time. This allows the added benefit of reinforcing and sustaining positive behavior day by day.
Rewards should vary quite a bit. There ought to be easy ways to
earn rewards and ways that require effort, patience and delayed
gratification. Overall, try to minimize rewards that cost money. There can be a few, but let them be hard to earn. The best rewards are those that encourage positive relationship building.
Let the kids help with making a list of rewards to get them motivated. Once the list is ready, apply a
"price" for each reward. Prices range from 1 to 100. Once the child has cashed in their tokens for that reward, the tokens are put back in the storage container to be reused.
Sample Reward Ideas
Super Duper Hug
Reading a story with a parent
Getting to stay up an extra 30 minutes
Having a cup of hot chocolate alone with a parent
Playing a game with the family or a family member
Getting to choose what to have for dinner
Renting a special movie
Inviting a friend over for a play-date
Having a friend sleepover
Extra computer time
ADDITIONAL TIPS
Pair giving a token with praise. After all, that is the best reinforcer and also models good bucket filling. Inform your child that if necessary, you, as the parent, can also apply additional consequences. Use parental judgment in developing rewards that are manageable & agreeable to both of you. Take a tablet or notebook with you when in public to track tokens earned/lost when away from home, to apply when you return.
Pair giving a token with praise. After all, that is the best reinforcer and also models good bucket filling. Inform your child that if necessary, you, as the parent, can also apply additional consequences. Use parental judgment in developing rewards that are manageable & agreeable to both of you. Take a tablet or notebook with you when in public to track tokens earned/lost when away from home, to apply when you return.
GETTING STARTED
1. Explain to your child that you are familiar with the Bucket Filler program used in school. Encourage them to discuss/describe it. Let them know that you will be doing this program at home as well.
2. Even though the concept is the same, explain how it is different from that at school.
3. Show them the containers they will be using. It is fun to let them label and decorate their container.
4. Show them the tokens you have decided to use, which will be
stored in the storage container.
5. Explain the Bucket Filling Rules to your child.
6. Create and post a Rewards List.
7. Implement the program and have fun!
1. Explain to your child that you are familiar with the Bucket Filler program used in school. Encourage them to discuss/describe it. Let them know that you will be doing this program at home as well.
2. Even though the concept is the same, explain how it is different from that at school.
3. Show them the containers they will be using. It is fun to let them label and decorate their container.
4. Show them the tokens you have decided to use, which will be
stored in the storage container.
5. Explain the Bucket Filling Rules to your child.
6. Create and post a Rewards List.
7. Implement the program and have fun!