by GIFT Coach | Jun 5, 2011 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Foster Parenting, General Discussion, International Adoption, Strengthening Family Relationships
I have just returned from a family trip to Machu Picchu, Peru – high in the peaks of the Andes Mountains. What connection does this have with adoption? Within minutes of our arrival, we were invited to share some wedding cake by a lovely Peruvian-American bride...
by Gayle Swift | May 14, 2011 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Susan David, Foster Parenting, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
Hello friends! This time of year is busy! Having just celebrated Mothers’ Day, our family is looking forward to our second son’s high school graduation. I know for me I have been thinking that my son is nearly the same age as his birth-mother when she had him. Yes,...
by Gayle Swift | Apr 27, 2011 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Lynn Cooper, Difficult Discussions, Foster Parenting, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
I know I am. My husband once told me I plan too much. I didn’t understand the concept, one can not plan too much. The message he was sending me was that I was too attached to my plans. If things didn’t work out the way I wanted or expected them to, I was...
by Gayle Swift | Apr 11, 2011 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Foster Parenting, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
I was listening to an audio recently on the topic of children & praise. As a parent I enjoy encouraging my children, noticing and commenting on their efforts. The unique point made in this discussion was this: praise the effort not the product. At first, this...
by Gayle Swift | Mar 28, 2011 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, Foster Parenting, General Discussion, Strengthening Family Relationships
Like many of you, I am an adopted parent. My two sons are now adults and I am very proud of the men they have become. Yet there was a time, when my oldest son was in his teens, that I feared for his well-being and happiness. My son had some challenges that I knew...
by gayles | Mar 21, 2011 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Strengthening Family Relationships
“You are Not My Real Mother!” I imagine every adoptive parent dreads hearing these words being spoken by their beloved adopted child. My daughter is now 23 years old. When she screamed that dreaded sentence, she was 9—frustrated and very angry. Her words stung in that...
