by GIFT Coach | Jan 27, 2016 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Difficult Discussions, General Discussion
Let’s face it, as adoptive families we frequently must field intrusive/offensive questions about our family, children and adoption. What Do I Say Now? by Carol Bick and M. C. Baker, illustrated by Sophie Meyer helps us address this issue. The book uses a...
by GIFT Coach | Jan 20, 2016 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, community, Difficult Discussions, General Discussion, International Adoption, Strengthening Family Relationships
Adoptees tell us that they frequently feel like they don’t quite fit in either their adoptive or birth families. This is not to say that they don’t feel attached, loved and welcomed. Rather it speaks to their challenge of living with the influences of...
by GIFT Coach | Jan 13, 2016 | Adoption Attuned Parenting, General Discussion
Most of us are familiar with the classic childhood song, “The Wheels on the Bus.” My kids delighted in singing the lyrics and acting out the accompanying gestures –swishing wipers, rolling wheels, children bumping up and down, etc., . As an adoptive...
by GIFT Coach | Jan 7, 2016 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Faith and Values, General Discussion, Strengthening Family Relationships
As we zip into this new year, how can we keep the lessons learned while leaving behind the weight of anger and regret? By choosing forgiveness–not amnesia– we can avoid the potholes inherent in “expectation” and instead choose acceptance. This...
by GIFT Coach | Dec 3, 2015 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Strengthening Family Relationships, The Adoption Triad
Last week we explored one tenet of our philosophy of adoption. (The entire twenty-five point manifesto is posted on our website home page.) This week we turn to point four: 4. Support systems are vital in assisting families with the realities of living as an adopted...
