Many children battle self-esteem issues at some point in their lives. Even if your children gets good grades at school and has lots of friends, his or her self-esteem may be lacking. While you might wish to try different tactics at home to bolster your child's view of himself or herself, you shouldn't hesitate to seek professional help. It's a good idea to start by setting up an appointment with your child's pediatrician. Mental health is just one area of pediatric health, and this physician will be able to help your child in several ways. Here are some different ways that the pediatrician can help.

Discussion Of Self-Image

Often, there's a reason that a child's self-esteem may be low, and the pediatrician can work to get to the bottom of it. Your child might not be eager to discuss this situation with you, but the neutrality and confidentiality that the doctor possesses offers the perfect environment for this type of conversation. Perhaps a family member has made the child feel as though she's not smart. For example, if a parent constantly extols the intelligence of an older sibling, the younger one can feel as though he or she isn't as bright — and this can lead to self-esteem issues.

Help With Seeing The Truth

Because self-esteem issues are often based on a child's misconception of reality, the pediatrician can help the child to understand this concept. For example, if a parent says that an older sibling is smart, this isn't the same as saying that the younger sibling isn't smart — even if the younger child takes it that way. Pediatricians are adept at helping their patients see what is actually the truth, rather than what might be perceived. Upon being able to identify the truth, your child may be able to overcome this issue that is affecting his or her self-esteem and enjoy improvements in this area.

Dialogue About How You Can Help

Even though what your child says to his or her pediatrician is confidential, the doctor may involve you to let you know how you can help the situation. Without divulging sensitive topics of a private nature, the pediatrician can speak to you in front of your child to help you better understand what is affecting the child's self-esteem. This can especially be helpful if your child hasn't said a lot about what has been bothering him or her to you.