by GIFT Coach | May 5, 2015 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
Since September, I have had the privilege to be in relationship with my thirty-year–old son’s birth mother. (Earlier this year she shared her thoughts on their reunion in this blog post.) I’ve discovered many things during the past eight months. The...
by GIFT Coach | Apr 22, 2015 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
When we introduced the relationship pyramid and discussed how safety and security provide the foundation on which relationships depend. The more substantial the experience of feeling safe and secure, the stronger the relationship will be and the easier the transition...
by GIFT Coach | Apr 8, 2015 | Adoption Attuned Parenting, Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
Winter still holds much of the country in its chilly grip. Easter/Passover have come and gone. Spring is on the horizon. Crocuses burst through the snow displaying a welcome burst of color and beauty. This climactic swirl serves as a metaphor for adoptive families who...
by GIFT Coach | Mar 25, 2015 | Blogs by Guests, General Discussion
For most of my life, through school and college and dating and infertility treatments, I was mostly guided by my head. I learned early on the surest way out of any problem was to study it, analyze it, work it, contemplate it. I was pretty successful with this...
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...
