Healthy self-esteem is like a child's armor against the
challenges of the world. Kids who know their strengths and
weaknesses and feel good about themselves seem to have an easier
time handling conflicts and resisting negative pressures. They
tend to smile more readily and enjoy life. These kids are
realistic and generally optimistic. In contrast, kids with low
self-esteem can find challenges to be sources of major anxiety
and frustration. Those who think poorly of themselves have a
hard time finding solutions to problems. If given to self-
critical thoughts such as "I'm no good" or "I can't do anything
right," they may become passive, withdrawn, or depressed. Faced
with a new challenge, their immediate response might be "I
can't." What Is Self-Esteem? Self-esteem is similar to self-
worth (how much a person values himself or herself). This can
change from day to day or from year to year, but overall self-
esteem tends to develop from infancy and keep going until we are
adults. Self-esteem also can be defined as