by GIFT Coach | Jan 14, 2015 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
Last week we discussed laughter as a way to practice joy as a family and to relieve stress. We are continuing our exploration today because we believe that sharing fun is essential for knitting families together. Consider the illustration on the left. I’m...
by GIFT Coach | Dec 16, 2014 | General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
This week we revisit a popular post from last year’s holiday season. Holidays bring excitement, a desire to spend time with family and visit friends and to add to the bank of treasured family memories. Such high expectations can be realized. But, in families...
by GIFT Coach | Dec 2, 2014 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Faith and Values, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships, The Adoption Process
At GIFT Family Services, we constantly look for ways to help families connect and create positive relationships and moments of togetherness that build healthy bonding in a family. A Facebook video posted by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University...
by GIFT Coach | Oct 7, 2014 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Faith and Values, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors
At one time, “bully for you” was a celebratory expression. Today the word bully occupies a lot of attention and exclusively conjures up a world of hurt, rejection and fear. Families, schools, and churches, all struggle to handle this detrimental behavior....
by GIFT Coach | Sep 16, 2014 | Blogs by Guests, Difficult Discussions, Foster Care Adoption, General Discussion, Infant Adoption, International Adoption, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
In this week’s blog, we continue last week’s exploration of Difficult Conversations in the context of adoption. GIFT—Growing Intentional Families Together—is pleased to include another important voice from the wider adoption community. Beth O’Malley M.Ed. She is...
by GIFT Coach | Sep 9, 2014 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Difficult Discussions, Faith and Values, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
Last week our blog focused on living the reality of unconditional love under extremely challenging circumstances. This week we will look at some challenges to telling the entire truth of “their story” to our children. Some children come to adoption because of tragic...
