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My Daughter Puts Herself Down — How Can I Help Her?

Source: The Nemours Foundation
Topics: Girls and Self-Esteem

My daughter always puts herself down. She's very caring and smart, and I compliment her all the time, but nothing seems to work.
Mike

Helping her see that others, like you, appreciate her qualities is a great start. You can also try to get her involved in activities like volunteering that encourage cooperation rather than competition. This will give her a taste of success and will show her what she is capable of accomplishing.

Most everyone has some self-doubt from time to time, but if your daughter's self-criticism is interfering with her life, a trained therapist can help uncover the reasons for her low self-esteem and suggest ways to improve it.

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: October 2009

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