by GIFT Coach | Jan 22, 2014 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool
Empathy is an essential human skill that enriches relationships, smooths life’s bumps, and enhances life’s joys. Empathy isn’t intuitive. It is a skill that must be taught. For some children–especially those with Tough Start histories–learning...
by GIFT Coach | Dec 5, 2013 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Strengthening Family Relationships
At GIFT Family Services, we constantly look for ways to help families connect and create positive relationships and moments of togetherness that build healthy bonding in a family. A Facebook video posted by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University...
by GIFT Coach | Nov 8, 2013 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Faith and Values, Infant Adoption, Strengthening Family Relationships
In honor of National Adoption Month, we are sharing the insights of adoptees. We invited them to share any thoughts which might assist families currently raising their children. Our first guest blogger is Parker Swift, pictured at left at 22 months. He is now 28. I...
by GIFT Coach | Oct 17, 2013 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors
Before your child joined your family and you and your child’s birth parents chose Open Adoption, it probably seemed fairly simple. You developed a plan that suited your child and both sets of parents. The reality of Open Adoptions, however, often becomes more...
by GIFT Coach | Oct 2, 2013 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors
On our weekly conference call with my GIFT partners, we talked about the influence our kids choices have on one another. Some of us notice that when one child shines the other frequently implodes–finds himself choosing behaviors that produce dramatic,...
by Gayle Swift | Sep 18, 2013 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Language, Strengthening Family Relationships
Last week we discussed the toxic effects of “Black Box” conversations: words that are so destructive that parents must commit to never speaking them. This week we want to focus on the conversations that others express within hearing distance of our...
