A Message from Author Carol McCloud

In twenty years, I have written ten books and given over a thousand school workshops and assemblies to inspire people of all ages to become “bucket fillers.” I am convinced that Bucket Filling is one of the most compelling positive behavior and bully prevention programs taught. It’s simple and fun, and it works! It brings joy into classrooms and homes and teaches children that what they say and do affects others. When adults with full buckets fill children’s buckets and teach them to be bucket fillers, they create an atmosphere of kindness and respect where children thrive.

History

In the early 1990s, I heard about bucket filling at a teacher conference in Florida. Neuroscientists presented research on Romanian orphans who had been warehoused and given little human interaction during President Nicolae Ceausescu’s term (1965-1989). Because no one “filled their little buckets” with human love and affection, these neglected children demonstrated severe physical, intellectual, and emotional deficits.

When I returned to our preschool classroom, I told the children what I had learned about “invisible buckets.” I explained how we could fill each other’s buckets with happiness. Then, I kneeled before each child and filled each bucket with two or three detailed reasons why they were so special to me. I cried. That was the day we all began “filling buckets.”

Our First Book

Fast forward to 2005. In a discussion with a second-grade teacher about creating a bucketfilling classroom, she said, “I wish someone would write a children’s book on bucket filling.” A light bulb went off in my head. That night, I drafted the book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids. Today, millions of our bucketfilling books are found in schools and families around the globe.

Happiness is a Full Bucket

While most people want happiness, how many realize you must think, speak, and act differently to be happier, to feel better about yourself, and to have good relationships? We can learn to fill buckets (be kinder), not dip (not be mean), and use our lids (protect our happiness). We can learn to acknowledge our feelings and not always act on them. Bucket fillers raise their happiness level through kindness, self-control, and resilience. These are learned skills. 

Thank You

I appreciate your visiting our website. Please explore other pages for free downloadable resources, past newsletters, and details on our selection of books, including age recommendations. While we do not sell books on this site, they can be found in nearly every brick-and-mortar and online bookstore, including through my publisher, Cardinal Rule Press (www.cardinalrulepress.com).

Feel free to contact me directly with questions or suggestions at carol@bucketfillers101.com. I am passionate about bucket filling and love to share this awe-inspiring concept with others. For more information on books and presentations, visit www.cardinalrulepress.com. 

Over the past two decades, I have been blessed to work with dozens of dedicated people: illustrators, publishers, distributors, bookstore staff, marketers, technicians, co-workers, presenters, educators, and parents to help carry this message to the world. I sincerely thank each and every one of you.

Keep filling buckets, and yours will continue to fill,