
Summer is in full swing.
Our kids are out of school and the days are hot, long, and often stormy. How can you find your way through the chaos to sustain an attuned, vibrant connection? This is one of the many things we address with the families whom we coach. We also look inward to our own relationships.
Over ten-plus years
My colleagues at Growing Intentional Families together have grown to be more than business colleagues who are deeply committed to serving the adoption community. We are also close friends who look upon one another like a second family. A family who live great distances from each other–Minneapolis, Florida, and northern and southern California, to be precise. Because we value our friendships and our company, we make time for annual in-person retreats. Last month we gathered in Minneapolis.
Retreats
Help ensure that we sustain healthy mutual relationships and are well with time, energy, and expense. We make time to review our company Mission, Vision, and Purpose as well as to strengthen our relationships. And, like family, we do not always agree on everything and have learned how to forge compromises, ask for and provide support, apologize and repair connections, etc. All of which requires intention, commitment, and effort.
Striving for balance
Our approach is multi-pronged.
Healthy relationships
Questions to consider:
- Lately, which child has been occupying the bulk of parental time?
- How has that impacted the other children?
- How have we connected with each child one-on-one in the last week?
- What way works best for each person?
- How have we connected with each child one-on-one in the last month?
- How much time have my partner and I been spending attentively with each other?
- Are we connecting genuinely or just sharing space?
- Have we found the time to be with each child individually?
- Does one or more of them need more?
- Have we shared a family meal together lately?
- How have we had fun as a family recently?
- Has there been plenty of good-hearted laughter?
- Is one or more of us struggling?
- Have we tried something new lately?
- Which Core Values are we strongly living Which Core Values are we compromising?
- What is my gut telling me and am I listening or ignoring it?
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- Call us at 1-800-653-9445
- Listen to our podcasts: Adoption Matters: Real People. Real Life. Real Talk and Essentials of Adoption Attuned Parenting
- Watch our YouTube channel
- Read Books written by our coaches
- Click to learn more about Adoption Attuned Certified coaching!
- Check out our on-demand courses.