--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As with all children, the feeling that I…" description: "\"As with all children, the feeling that I was useful was perhaps the greatest joy I experienced.\" — Eleanor Roosevelt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/eleanor-roosevelt-381_children_as-with-all-children-the-feeling-that-i_2759049.jpg" --- # As with all children, the feeling that I was useful was… ![“As with all children, the feeling that I was useful was perhaps the greatest joy I experienced.” quote by Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/eleanor-roosevelt-381_children_as-with-all-children-the-feeling-that-i_2759049.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/eleanor-roosevelt-381_children_as-with-all-children-the-feeling-that-i_2759049.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/eleanor-roosevelt-381_children_as-with-all-children-the-feeling-that-i_2759049.jpg) > “As with all children, the feeling that I was useful was perhaps the greatest joy I experienced.” [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children feel greatest joy when they perceive themselves as useful. **In simple terms:** Utility brings children joy. Key Takeaway Encourage children to help others. Themes children usefulness joy purpose Mood warm inspirational Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - volunteering - family chores - school projects - community service Key Concepts Education developmental psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you foster usefulness without stress? - What activities make children feel valued? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on usefulness can pressure kids. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) ## Related quotes > [The most useful is the greatest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-parker/the-most-useful-is-the-greatest/) [Theodore Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-parker/) > [“These things were in my mind from the first moment I entered the vocal booth. The gratitude I had for rock and roll as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/these-things-were-in-my-mind-from-the-first-moment-i-entered-the/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [At times, I've been incapacitated by anxiety and unhappiness. You really know what joy is if you have experienced the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-parker/at-times-i-ve-been-incapacitated-by-anxiety-and-unhappiness-you/) [Cornelia Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-parker/) > [“But I don't know how much joy she experienced while loving me. I don't know how much joy I was capable of feeling or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/but-i-don-t-know-how-much-joy-she-experienced-while-loving-me-i-don-t/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [Action can give us the feeling of being useful, but only words can give us a sense of weight and purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/action-can-give-us-the-feeling-of-being-useful-but-only-words-can/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“Happiness is feeling useful to others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-ois-lelord/happiness-is-feeling-useful-to-others/) [François Lelord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-ois-lelord/) > [“The two of them talked in medical babble while I sat there feeling as useful as a gorilla at a spelling bee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renae-kaye/the-two-of-them-talked-in-medical-babble-while-i-sat-there-feeling-as/) Renae Kaye > [I liked helping my parents, feeling useful, feeling smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geisha-williams/i-liked-helping-my-parents-feeling-useful-feeling-smart/) [Geisha Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geisha-williams/) > [The entire time I was following the feelings experienced by children, so the feeling of not understanding what adults say was very important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-abreu/the-entire-time-i-was-following-the-feelings-experienced-by-children/) [Alex Abreu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-abreu/) > [Since no one is always right, always being right is really a role model for his children feeling inadequate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/since-no-one-is-always-right-always-being-right-is-really-a-role/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [Even in the midst of compassion we feel within I know not what tart sweet titillation of malicious pleasure in seeing others suffer; children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/even-in-the-midst-of-compassion-we-feel-within-i-know-not-what-tart/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [“Everybody knows that a good mother gives her children a feeling of trust and stability. 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Because of the gnawing feeling that no matter how hard they work their efforts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/people-move-because-of-the-wear-and-tear-of-anxiety-because-of-the/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [I think adults sometimes don't think about how children are feeling about the adult problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-think-adults-sometimes-don-t-think-about-how-children-are-feeling/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) ## More by Eleanor Roosevelt > [My experience has been that work is almost the best way to pull oneself out of the depths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/my-experience-has-been-that-work-is-almost-the-best-way-to-pull/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [experience should teach us that it is always the unexpected that does occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/experience-should-teach-us-that-it-is-always-the-unexpected-that-does/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [To be mature you have to realize what you value most... Not to arrive at a clear understanding of one's own values is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/to-be-mature-you-have-to-realize-what-you-value-most-not-to-arrive-at/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [I'm enormously interested in freedom and retaining the right to have whatever economy we want and to shape it as we want and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-m-enormously-interested-in-freedom-and-retaining-the-right-to-have/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [When you look fear in the face, you are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/when-you-look-fear-in-the-face-you-are-able-to-say-to-yourself-i/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/the-destiny-of-human-rights-is-in-the-hands-of-all-our-citizens-in/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [You can never really live anyone else's life, not even your child's. The influence you exert is through your own life, and what you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/you-can-never-really-live-anyone-else-s-life-not-even-your-child-s/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“One of the things I believe most intensely is that every child’s why should be answered with care—and with respect. If you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/one-of-the-things-i-believe-most-intensely-is-that-every-child-s-why/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [What we must learn to do is to create unbreakable bonds between the sciences and the humanities. We cannot procrastinate. The world of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/what-we-must-learn-to-do-is-to-create-unbreakable-bonds-between-the/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/never-allow-a-person-to-tell-you-no-who-doesn-t-have-the-power-to-say/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/do-not-stop-thinking-of-life-as-an-adventure-you-have-no-security/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [We stand today at the threshold of a great event both in the life of the United Nations and in the life of mankind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/we-stand-today-at-the-threshold-of-a-great-event-both-in-the-life-of/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [All of us ... should remember that no amount of flag-waving, pledging allegiance, or fervent singing of the national anthem is evidence that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/all-of-us-should-remember-that-no-amount-of-flag-waving-pledging/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Some friends leave footprints in your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/some-friends-leave-footprints-in-your-heart/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [If we want a free and peaceful world, if we want to make the deserts bloom and man grow to greater dignity as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/if-we-want-a-free-and-peaceful-world-if-we-want-to-make-the-deserts/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) [Explore all 612 Eleanor Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. 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You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. 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