by GIFT Coach | May 14, 2014 | Blogs by Joann DiStefano
Mother’s Day is considered a time of celebration. Women are honored on that day by their children and feel blessed to have them in their lives. But, what about Birthmothers? Do they feel the same way? I know of many agencies that have a special day that they celebrate...
by GIFT Coach | May 4, 2014 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, General Discussion
In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic tale of adultery and unwed motherhood, Hester Prynne was required to wear a scarlet “A” on her clothing as punishment for her sin. This publicly branded her and allowed the community to judge and ostracize her (and...
by GIFT Coach | Apr 23, 2014 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, General Discussion
Adoption related ideas pop up in the most unexpected places. While discussing some excellent novels—none of which had adoption themes— GIFT coaches came across quotes that placed them in an adoption frame of mind. Consider these lines from Allegiant by Veronica Roth:...
by GIFT Coach | Apr 16, 2014 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, Faith and Values, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
Intentional Families recognize the importance of having fun as a family. Creating special family holiday traditions is a great way to accomplish this. Whether the event is religious like Passover and Easter, or secular, holidays are important events in a family’s...
by GIFT Coach | Apr 10, 2014 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, General Discussion
Last week we visited the concepts of the family Emotional Bank Account and the Family Memory Banks. Having explored the idea for a week, what changes have you observed? Once you set the intention to accent the positive, what kinds of things did you notice in both...
by GIFT Coach | Mar 19, 2014 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano
Adoption is complicated and unless parents are adoptees, we can never completely understand the experience. Love and positive intentions will carry us far but we must rely on our children to speak the truth of their world. We must set a context where our kids feel...
