by Gayle Swift | May 2, 2018 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Family dynamics, General Discussion
Last weekend my son turned thirty-three.* (He’s grown a fair bit since this photo was taken!) We marked the day with the usual festivities including ice cream cake, candles to blow out, voices raised in off-key song. Sounds pretty typical but it was far from...
by Gayle Swift | Apr 25, 2018 | Adoption-attunement, Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
Human beings are genetically programmed to desire belonging and companionship, yet life is at its core a solitary journey. In response, each of us walks through life attracting and establishing relationships and deciding who and what is important. As adoptive...
by Gayle Swift | Apr 16, 2018 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
I am meeting my fellow GIFT coaches this week in Sedona. Because we reside all across the US, we believe it is important to gather in person at least once a year. Our periodic retreats are our way of practicing what we preach in terms of maintaining healthy...
by Gayle Swift | Apr 4, 2018 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
Our last few blogs have concentrated on ways to establish and nurture deep connection within our families. Now let’s take the time to review our efforts and identify the changes that have resulted. (Notice I did not say “if” any change occurred; I presupposed that...
by Gayle Swift | Mar 21, 2018 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Strengthening Family Relationships
By the very fact that you chose to take the time to open this blog, you have demonstrated a commitment to being the best parent you can. Posts like this one help us identify leverage points from which we can better guide and connect with our children. Today as I write...
by Gayle Swift | Mar 7, 2018 | Adoption constellation, Adoption-attunement, Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion, Strengthening Family Relationships
During the previous two weeks, we focused on building relationships by intentionally scheduling conversations with the sole purpose of speaking the deep feelings in our hearts. Instead of relying on the assumption that our families “know” how we feel about them, we...
