Kids Books About Helpfulness

I have a lot of flaws, but as a mom, one of my most fatal flaws is how much I struggle to watch my kids struggle. I just want to HELP THEM!!! Often I help my son without even thinking, without even realizing I am doing it, and as a result, he is not as independent as he could be. Sometimes he just pretends to struggle so that my automatic habit mom kicks in and takes over. My daughter on the other hand mostly hates my help and she loves to advocate for herself. She wants to do everything herself and she reminds me over and over again: “Mom, I got this.” “MOM, I GOT THIS.”

Helping is my default mode. I need to remind myself constantly not to help. To remind my kids that they can get their own water, find their own pajamas, solve their own problems.

I want to raise kids who roll up their sleeves and pitch in to help when help is needed, but who also help themselves and don’t rely on others to get a job done. I want to raise confident, capable children – who believe they can make a difference in the world.

Since I personally struggle so much with the drawing the line between what is actually helpful and what is long-term harmful – it has been a good conversation starter to talk about helpfulness with my kids and why I make them get their own water, even though it would be helpful of me to get it for them. It was fun reading books featuring helpful (and not helpful!) characters with them too.

What is Helpfulness?

Helpfulness is doing things for other people that they cannot do for themselves, maybe because they do not have enough time, or they don’t have the physical ability to do it. Helpfulness can also mean doing things alongside someone so that the job goes faster and is more fun. For example, when you help your parent put away the groceries. When you join in to help someone do something, you build friendship.

There is a difference between pleasing people and helping people. Sometimes, what people want and what they need are not the same. Doing what someone wants even though it’s not something they need help with is not helping them – it is just pleasing them. It is good to be careful with your energy for just pleasing people – you only have so much to give others, so we want to give people useful help and let them help themselves when they can.

Sometimes, people do not want our help. They want to do it their way, and that is okay. It is good to be aware when our help might be hurting them. While helping others is good, it can become too much for them and for you.

The Magic Porridge Pot by Paul Galdone

In the Magic Porridge Pot, a girl and her mother are gifted a magical pot that will brew porridge upon saying the magic words. If only the characters could remember the magic words to get the porridge to stop! This book is fun to read-aloud to young kids because they usually remember the right words and the characters are saying all the wrong ones. Kids can help by shouting the right words at the book.

One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey

In this story, Sal (from Blueberries for Sal), helps her parents in their weekend tasks and the family has fun together. I love this story because it does capture how you can have fun and enjoy each other’s company while you help and work together.

“A Lost Button” in Frog and Toad Storybook Treasury by Arnold Lobel

We love Frog and Toad stories! In A Lost Button, Frog helps Toad find his very specific button. Sometimes being helpful means that not just any thing will do – sometimes you have to help to the end of a very specific and complicated task.

The Leaves in Frog and Toad Storybook Treasury

In the Leaves, both Frog and Toad secretly do good deeds for one another but the wind comes and messes it all up. My daughter loves this story!

Dogger by Shirley Hughes

Dogger is one of my all-time favourite children’s books because it shows a positive sibling dynamic through the story. There aren’t a lot of books featuring helpful, kind, human siblings that aren’t preachy in their storytelling – but Dogger hits the mark. In Dogger, an older sister helps her little brother get back his precious stuffed toy.

I hope you find this booklist helpful! (Really, I do. I truly do write this blog to be helpful to others).

Warmly,

-Heather

ps: This post contains Amazon affiliate-links. They are one small way you can support my blog, so thank you!