by GIFT Coach | Jul 30, 2014 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
A recent article written by the Adoption Council of Ontario focused on the concept of inducement which they define as “a psychological concept which describes the use of non-verbal communication to induce one’s own emotional state in another. Inducement is a...
by GIFT Coach | Jul 15, 2014 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, Faith and Values, General Discussion, Strengthening Family Relationships
Umenta.com reported on recent research by Dr. Marshall Duke of Emory University indicates that children benefit from repetition of family stories. “Duke found that children who were exposed to family stories experience “higher levels of emotional well-being, and also...
by GIFT Coach | Jul 1, 2014 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, General Discussion
Starting a difficult conversation can be challenging whether it is with a spouse, friend co-worker, stranger or family member. But holding adoption conversations with kids can be especially hard when the information being shared is painful or difficult to accept. To...
by GIFT Coach | Jun 4, 2014 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano
There is a quote from Allegiant by Veronica Roth that has intrigued me since I read it. It states that, “Since I was young, I have always known this: Life damages us, everyone. We can’t escape that damage. But now, I am also learning this: We can be...
by GIFT Coach | May 28, 2014 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, General Discussion
As parents, we appreciate the structure that rules bring to families. Sound rules establish firm, clear boundaries. This creates a secure framework for kids. It also offers them something to push against. Kids are born explorers—courageous, persistent they strain to...
by GIFT Coach | May 21, 2014 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, Faith and Values, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
Remember when we were kids and we craved our parent’s attention? We’d call their names and plead for them to watch whatever we were doing: a cartwheel, an energetic dance or, perhaps leaping high into the air. It was as if, our actions lacked value until our parents...