ABSTRACT
This chapter describes some of the ways in which self-esteem can develop in infancy. Weekly observations of infants in the natural environment of their family are used to explore how precisely this centrally important part of the self—self-esteem—takes shape. Self-esteem is a somewhat neglected concept in psychoanalytic literature, but in the fine grain of infant observation material, a deeper complexity can be elaborated. The perception of the self, loved for who one is by the parents, forms part of the core of self-esteem. The emotional matrix in the family will contain empathy for all the domains of the self: the bodily self, the verbal self, and the psychological and emotional self. This is the foundation for the development of a secure attachment to both the parents and the older sibling and of healthy self-confidence and the construction of high self-esteem. The observations showed how each mother related to her children's developing individuation as unique and separate personalities.
