Other people mark their 50th birthday by taking a trip, throwing a big party, or checking off something on their bucket list. I entered my sixth decade with a growing sense that our family needed one more child to feel complete. My husband and I already had six children, the youngest of whom was 10, and I had a pretty…
Hannah Walusis, a young friend of Rewire Me, shared something I love so much that I want to share it with you! Barely 18 herself, Hannah made a list of reassurances to give her own child when he or she reaches that age. But I think people of all ages can benefit from these loving life lessons: You’re stronger than you realize. You’ll find out that…
We all know that internet porn is tremendously popular. Its dominance on the Internet is nothing short of stunning. According to Gail Dines, author of Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality, there are more visits to pornography sites each month than to Netflix, Amazon, and Twitter combined. A quick Google search reveals some startling stats: “Sex videos”: 480 million links “Video porn”:…
When a trauma occurs—for anyone at any age—it calls into question key elements that we naturally depend on for survival: safety, control, and, as psychologist Albert Bandura defined it, our sense of self-efficacy. That refers to the belief in our ability to succeed in a specific situation—in the case of trauma, the ability to take action, protect yourself, and stay…
I’ve experienced many situations over the years requiring parental resourcefulness while raising my daughter. But I learned important lessons about teaching and motivating a child long before she was born. While working as a summer lifeguard and Big Brother volunteer, I discovered that distraction can help children overcome paralyzing fear, step outside their comfort zone…and even develop a passion for…
Janine was the biggest bully in my elementary school—and she was assigned to the desk next to mine in fifth grade. Short and obese with cropped black hair and bulging black eyes, she wore a constant sneer beneath her olive complexion. We were complete opposites: I loved school and excelled in it; Janine hated it and did poorly. I wore…
Not getting invited to a party. Being picked last for a pickup basketball game. Not getting a joke that everyone around you is cracking up over. Almost everybody has experiences like these from time to time. And usually we get over it…unless it becomes a recurring pattern. Often, parents need to step in to help kids who feel left out.…
By day, I’m a calm, mild-mannered middle school teacher who would do just about anything to motivate my students to do their best work and fall in love with learning. I praise their achievements and efforts, not just their high scores, and then watch those scores improve. When they stumble, I help them see how to pick themselves back up…
Do the aftereffects of traumatic events we suffered as children follow us into adulthood in a physical way? Research about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) proves that enormous childhood stress absolutely leads to increased potential for adult illness and disease. The original Adverse Childhood Experience study (conducted from 1995 to 1997) examined the link between childhood trauma and the likelihood of…
