by GIFT Coach | Apr 10, 2013 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Infant Adoption, The Adoption Process
Adoption is about providing parents for children versus finding children for parents. Whether adoption is an idea you’ve considered for ages or it’s a new possibility for you, this decision is life-changing. The choice should be carefully considered. What...
by GIFT Coach | Apr 3, 2013 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
It takes heroic effort to remain calm during a verbal attack launched by an out of control child. The natural inclination is to feel offended by the ugly words hurled. Striving to love and care for their child, a parent may feel crushed to hear, “You’re a...
by GIFT Coach | Mar 28, 2013 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, Difficult Discussions, Faith and Values, Strengthening Family Relationships
During this past month we’ve explored the way walls function in our lives to protect and defend us. It is important for us to know when to open these defenses and especially vital to teach our children these same skills. When we are in a moment of confrontation,...
by Sally A | Mar 20, 2013 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
The unsettling behaviors of our traumatized children can trigger our own traumas and beliefs. We unconsciously activate our defense systems and shelter behind our walls. This may cause us to second guess our ability to parent. Perhaps, we may even respond with...
by GIFT Coach | Mar 12, 2012 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift
I was speaking with an adoptee in his late twenties. He has a healthy relationship with his adoptive parents. Since his eighteenth birthday, he has been cultivating a warm and reassuring relationship with his birth-mother. In his conversations with her, he is able to...
by Gayle Swift | Feb 5, 2012 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, The Adoption Triad
Recently I shared a conversation with an adult who was adopted as a newborn. She described the soup of emotions that she felt toward her birth-mother. To this day, she maintains a strong current of anger, hurt, frustration, and lack of control. This pain co-exists...
