by Gayle Swift | Feb 20, 2019 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Faith and Values, Family dynamics, Strengthening Family Relationships
Teaching our deeply-held values to our children is one of our most important parental tasks. It is a truism that our children learn more from our actions than our words. But children often remain oblivious to the values-based thinking that governs our actions....
by Gayle Swift | Feb 13, 2019 | Adoption-attunement, Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
The Grammys aired last night to honor musicians of every stripe and genre which made me think of the power that music wields. Music evokes emotion in ways deeper than words. It unlocks memories reminding us of people, places, times, and events. This is why film...
by Gayle Swift | Feb 6, 2019 | Adoption-attunement, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Difficult Discussions, Empathy
Unless adoptive parents are also adoptees, we can only approximate in our minds and hearts what it must be like for our children. Adoption was the answer to our prayer; but for our children, it is far more complicated. The benefits they gained via adoption coexist...
by Gayle Swift | Jan 30, 2019 | Adoption-attunement, Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion, Strengthening Family Relationships
In the world of adoption, we hear a lot about grief, loss, trauma, and emotional triggers. As parents how do we deal with this complicated emotional stew? How do we support our kids, help move them through to the other side, back to a place of calm and security? How...
by Gayle Swift | Jan 23, 2019 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, General Discussion
I took a class this weekend to learn about native plants for the garden in my new house. The most basic rule the instructor stated was to choose the right plant for the given location. Consider the weeping willow and the cactus. While each plant is lovely, they could...
