Children's levels of self-esteem are evident in their behavior and attitudes. If children feel good about themselves, these good feelings will be reflected in how they relate to friends, teachers, siblings, parents, and others. There are many things parents can do to help their children learn that they are lovable, capable, and competent, beginning when their children are at a very young age. Unfortunately, it is also at a very young age that children can begin to develop low self-esteem. Parents must be very careful not to plant the seeds of low self-esteem in their children unknowingly.
Children learn their first lessons about self-esteem from their parents.
Children look to parents and other important adults for evidence that they're lovable, smart, capable, etc. If they don't get this evidence, low self-esteem develops. Self-esteem affects school success. Children who feel good about themselves and their abilities are much more likely to do well in school than children who often think they can't do things right. School success, in turn, affects a child's self-esteem.