Today as we were riding home, Caleb and Brenden were "fussing" in the back seat.
Caleb to me: Mom, Brenden is a bucket dipper. He keeps dipping out of my bucket.
Me: What do you mean? You have a bucket with water in it?
Caleb: I have an imaginary bucket on top of my head. When it is full I am very happy but when people dip from it then it makes me sad. If my bucket is empty then I am really mad!
Me: How do people dip from your bucket?
Caleb: They say mean things or talk bad to me. Brenden is calling me names and that is dipping from my bucket.
(Brenden in the background is discussing how "stupid" the imaginery bucket is).
Caleb: You are either a bucket dipper or a bucket giver and I am a bucket giver.
Me: That is great but how does one become a bucket giver?
Caleb: You have to be nice to people and say nice things to them. Mom, you have dipped from my bucket sometimes. Even dad dipped. But Brenden is dipping a lot right now.
Me: Oh my gosh, I am so sorry that I dipped from your bucket. I will try to be a bucket giver to you.
Later at dinner we had another discussion about the bucket and how we can be givers instead of dippers. By then Brenden was open to having his own bucket (and I know he needs his filled to the brim).
Obviously, my 7 year old did not come up with this analogy on his own. I am thinking it is something used at school in his class. But either way it has me thinking about other people's buckets and how easy it is to be a bucket dipper. I hope this family can work more on becoming bucket givers instead.
For now the doctor is out....checking for holes in my own bucket and filling up both of my boys buckets....
