Congratulations to Lori – she won this giveaway. Stay tuned for a new giveaway going live tomorrow!
My kids, who are in 4th and 1st Grade, both came home this week with a little book, “Have You Filled A Bucket Today: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids“ to share with us. At first, I’ll admit, my eyes rolled about the whole thing as sometimes our kids school sends home too much stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I love how engaged our community is with our school and vice versa, just the flow of information can be a bit overwhelming at times.
The kids were instructed to read the book to their family. As they started reading, I started to realize what some kind of genius this book was. Have you seen it? Have you read it? You need to. This book is not just for little kids. There are many, many adults you need to read this book. It should be on the national list of required books for everyone. If you don’t read it, you get fined (or someone just gets to empty your bucket, I’m kidding!). Here’s what the author, Carol McCloud says about her book:
A bucketfilling school is a great place to learn. A bucketfiling family is a great place to grow up. A bucketfilling community is a great place to live. These are place where kindness, respect, fairness, other-centeredness, responsibility, and generosity are seen.
Bucket filling is easy. It doesn’t cost any money. It doesn’t take much time. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are. Bucket filing makes everyone feel good.
This book is all about taking charge of your life and deciding to have a positive impact on everyone around you. It reiterates the basic principle that each of us wake up every single blessed morning with a choice: are you we going to fill other’s buckets with praise and kindness and love or are we going to be person who grabs the bucket and tosses it all away. When I was growing up, my Mom would tell us “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me”. Hmmm, sounds good, but haven’t we all, no matter how hard we try to have it not happen, been hurt, deeply hurt by what someone has said to us or how someone has treated us?
I know that I’m not always a bucket filler. Even with best intentions sometimes we lash out and say or do things that are not the kindest things. But, and a big fat hairy but this is…. I want to be a bucket filler. I want to live in a family of bucket fillers. In fact, I’m going to throw this out there–I want to live in a world of bucket fillers.
As a parent, I’ve tried to instill into my children you can’t control how others treat you, nor can you control what they say to you , nor what they do to you. You only have control on how you respond. My mantra since becoming a mom has been–respond in kindness always. Well I’m buying a copy of this book for my family. And we have a new mantra–fill buckets, don’t empty them. I think the message is easier for them to understand–it’s more tangible.
I’ve said this before and I’m sure I’ll say it again. I want so many thing for my kids–to have a purpose; to have meaningful relationships; to love God with all of their heart; to contribute to society; and to be kind. If they’re kind, I believe the rest will fall into place for them.
Because I believe in this message so deeply, I’m buying not one but two copies of this book. One copy for moi and one copy for you! Here’s your chance to win something that will have a positive impact on your family. In order to enter, please leave a comment below. If you’re a subscriber to my blog (and I know who you are, you’ll automatically get a bonus entry). If you become a new subscriber to my blog, let me know in the comments section and you’ll get an extra entry. Contest ends on Monday, February 6 at Noon ET.
This is a concept my kids have been taught in school…..although I didn’t realize there was an actual book ….would love to win. Thanks!
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We are trying to read devotionals, etc., to our kids each day. This sounds like something great to share with them. Would love to win!! mhammers@zoomtown.com
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mhammers@zoomtown.com
I love the sound of this book! That was really nice of you to buy a copy to give away, I already feel inspired just by the little bit you wrote about it. My daughter is very kind but she’s well into what her school refers to the “9 year change”, where they begin to grow up, test boundaries, stereotype, etc and I think this book would help meet the challenges we both face as she goes through this period of her life.
Thanks!
I love the idea of this book! Thanks so much for the chance to win one!
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This sounds like a great book – I did sales training around filling a bucket, so it would be interesting to see how they compare. Thanks for this opportunity!
I’m already a subscriber and love your blog!
Sounds like a great book I’d live to have!!
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I re-subscribed to your blog and I’d love to read this book. Thanks!
What a neat idea! Definitely sounds like a book the Jacksons need to read.
Kindness is the key…the rest will fall into place.
I subscribed.
I am a new subscriber today! I have spent many years modeling and molding our family with these character traits and to our family’s benefit we do well but I’d love for us to do better! I also work in a classroom of children that haven’t had the best of circumstances and would love to be able to put into ‘politically correct wording” just what this book is portraying. I will be ordering it, thank you for this!
I’m subscribed.
Deeds of kindness, sown with love can change the world! Would love to have this book!
Email subscriber!
This would be a wonderful book to add to my kiddos library. It definitely teaches something that would be great for our whole family to hear on a regular basis
This sounds like a really sweet book that I’d love to share with my kids!
Can’t wait to read this book!
i am a new email subscriber. love your blog!
Sounds like a neat book.
Thanks for the giveaway!