by GIFT Coach | Nov 9, 2016 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Book: Forever Fingerprints, book: In Our Mothers" House, General Discussion, National Adoption Month, Strengthening Family Relationships
November brings to mind Thanksgiving. As adoptive parents we feel deeply grateful for the added blessing of our children. It feels particularly apt to observe National Adoption Month in November. Note, however, that the original (and on-going) mission of National...
by GIFT Coach | Nov 2, 2016 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
In recent posts, we’ve gotten REAL about relationships and adoption complexity. To continue this conversation, let’s examine how fear, self-doubt and rivalry can undermine us, color our thoughts on adoption, on permanency and on beliefs. Without doubt, we...
by GIFT Coach | Oct 26, 2016 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion, Strengthening Family Relationships
As we discussed in a recent blog, adoptive families are often questioned in one way or another about who the “REAL” relationship figures are in their lives. These questions land like a sucker punch to the chest. Sometimes we can quickly recenter ourselves...
by GIFT Coach | Oct 4, 2016 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion, Strengthening Family Relationships
Multiple points of view can be true at the same time! Adoption proves this fact every day. We experience this reality in deep, visceral ways. Case in point: adoptive parents celebrate their child’s arrival. Birth parents grieve their loss. Children experience a...
by GIFT Coach | Sep 27, 2016 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
One of the most demeaning questions thrown at adoptees and their families centers on the concept of REAL. Do you know your REAL parents? Do you have any REAL brothers or sisters? In addition to your adopted children, do you have any REAL ones? These questions strike...
by GIFT Coach | Sep 14, 2016 | Adoption-attunement, Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
A cow patty slathered with vanilla frosting still stinks. What!?! A cow patty stinks? Indeed, no amount of frosting can change a cow patty into dessert. What does this statement have to do with Intentional Parenting? More than you might think. Adult adoptees report...
