When we insist our children do what they can do themselves they develop self sufficiency, a sense of accomplishment, and yes, self esteem. What I mean is that we need to help them avoid the big disasters, but little failures on the way can lead to a greater sense of accomplishment down the road. If I was still holding Jonathon's hand while we rollerbladed together he still wouldn't feel like a rollerblader. Falling down showed him where he was, being able to skate showed him how far he had come. Be careful not to rescue your kids from every failure, they need to feel its' sting once in a while to appreciate the joy of success later.
Self esteem is important, it really does make a difference in our children's lives.
But helping them build self esteem by achievement and accomplishment, especially through ordinary everyday things is far more valuable than sitting your kids down and telling them they need to believe in themselves. Online Christian Resources.