by Gayle Swift | Aug 3, 2017 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion, Strengthening Family Relationships
Anyone connected with adoption knows that transitions tend to unsettle adoptees. Some posit that it echoes the primal loss of their being separated from their birth families. Regardless of how they connect to this profound loss, transitions do operate as trigger...
by GIFT Coach | Nov 9, 2016 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Book: Forever Fingerprints, book: In Our Mothers" House, General Discussion, National Adoption Month, Strengthening Family Relationships
November brings to mind Thanksgiving. As adoptive parents we feel deeply grateful for the added blessing of our children. It feels particularly apt to observe National Adoption Month in November. Note, however, that the original (and on-going) mission of National...
by GIFT Coach | Oct 26, 2016 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion, Strengthening Family Relationships
As we discussed in a recent blog, adoptive families are often questioned in one way or another about who the “REAL” relationship figures are in their lives. These questions land like a sucker punch to the chest. Sometimes we can quickly recenter ourselves...
by GIFT Coach | Oct 4, 2016 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion, Strengthening Family Relationships
Multiple points of view can be true at the same time! Adoption proves this fact every day. We experience this reality in deep, visceral ways. Case in point: adoptive parents celebrate their child’s arrival. Birth parents grieve their loss. Children experience a...
by GIFT Coach | Aug 3, 2016 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Empathy, Faith and Values, General Discussion, Intentional Parenting, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
Americans value success. We believe our land of opportunity rewards hard work and determination. Last week we discussed Dr. Michele Borba’s excellent book, Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World. Dr. Borba asked us to consider that we...
by GIFT Coach | Jul 13, 2016 | Adoptioin Attunement, Strengthening Family Relationships
Our recent posts focused on communication, deep listening, and respect. These are foundational values for Intentional Families. In this blog, we also frequently discuss the intrinsic connection adopted families have to Diversity. Our families are rooted in difference....
