by GIFT Coach | Sep 30, 2015 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Faith and Values, General Discussion
No one accidentally adopts, right? We pursued adoption with passion. determination and single-mindedness. It required significant, time energy and commitment to become adoptive parents. We must pursue parenting with equal intensity, one that is infused with a thorough...
by GIFT Coach | May 21, 2015 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Faith and Values, General Discussion, Open Adoption, Strengthening Family Relationships
My children are now adults –twenty-eight and thirty years old. (Of course, in my heart, they will always be my babies.) Each is steadily pursuing relationships and careers guided by an inner compass that evolved from a combination of factors: nurture, DNA, personal...
by GIFT Coach | May 13, 2015 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Guests, Difficult Discussions, Faith and Values, General Discussion, Open Adoption, Strengthening Family Relationships, The Adoption Triad
Lori Holden: Reader questions about open adoption relationships During a discussion of my book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption, held by a virtual book club two years ago, I was asked the question you see in the title above. Oh, yes indeedy, learn I did. And...
by GIFT Coach | Mar 11, 2015 | Blogs by Guests, Difficult Discussions, Faith and Values, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships, The Adoption Process, The Adoption Triad
Sherrie Eldridge is an award-winning author of seven books, including the best-selling Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew. (We believe it is essential reading for adoptive parents.) Her classic book, 20 Life-Transforming Choices Adoptees Need...
by GIFT Coach | Mar 4, 2015 | Blogs by Guests, Difficult Discussions, Faith and Values, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
Years ago, before I had ever heard the word “attunement” associated with adoptive parenting, a therapist told me, “Your son is telling you what he can handle by his behavior.” More than anything else, those words have impacted our family for the better. I have learned...
by GIFT Coach | Feb 25, 2015 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, Difficult Discussions, Faith and Values, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors
In our recent blog post we discussed The 5 Love Languages of Children, by Chapman & Campbell and learned the benefits of using a child’s primary Love Language because it provides a direct way to connect with them. The 5 Love Languages of Children asserts that once...