Self-esteem has to do with positive feelings.  Happiness, purpose, connection all make up a sense of self.  Praise your child for good behavior, reward friendship, and establish family connections. Lead by example.

Wayne Yankus, MD, FAAP
expert panelist: pediatrics

Hi there,

Thank you for your question. Self esteem is such an important subject that I think it's great that you are being so active to understand it more. To read up on self esteem click on the link below which is a link to the self esteem information center on Education.com. I can also tell you from my experience that children will learn more from their parents' actions than from their words. So I think it's necessary to reinforce your communication through action. Simple things such as spending time with your children can be very meaningful for a child's self esteem development.

Thank you and good luck!