Your upbringing plays a vital role in how you perceive yourself. Low self esteem starts is a function of your upbringing. The feeling of always being talked down, not being heard, made to feel small or insignificant, leads to a biased conclusion about one's self.
As a parent, one of the best ways to improve communication between you and your child is by giving the child the freedom of expression. Children always want to talk, there's a lot on their minds that they need to share. To the parent it may not make any sense, but it sure means a lot to the child.
There is no greater feeling to a child than knowing that his/her parent is interested in what he/she is saying.
Never talk down your child or yell at the child. It is demeaning. Instead, give the child the benefit of taking a few decisions, making choices, and more importantly, making mistakes. Believe in your child, encourage him/her, and let him/her know that they are important to you. 