by Gayle Swift | Mar 8, 2017 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
For adoptive parents, the arrival of their children is a miracle beyond conception and an event which they love to celebrate. In a recent letter, Dear Abby extolled the virtues of “Gotcha Day” as a wonderful way to celebrate an important and life transforming event....
by GIFT Coach | Aug 31, 2016 | General Discussion
Adopted: looking the part and living the part of adopted person or adopted family, is something most of us had no idea we’d be doing. How can we best prepare? Develop a High AQ* (Adoption-attunement quotient.) Release pre-conceived notions about adoption and...
by GIFT Coach | May 25, 2016 | Adoption-attunement, Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, General Discussion
To the marrow of our bones, adoptive parents understand what we’ve called in earlier blogs “our magnificent obsession”: the consuming desire for children. We pursued adoption with passion and dogged determination, leaped every hurdle and met every requirement that...
by GIFT Coach | Oct 22, 2014 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
Let’s stipulate that a healthy parent-child relationship grows in the nurturing cocoon of love. In adoptive families love is present, pervasive, intentional and committed. Unfortunately, love is not “enough” to firmly heal a child’s losses in...
by GIFT Coach | Jul 15, 2014 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, Faith and Values, General Discussion, Strengthening Family Relationships
Umenta.com reported on recent research by Dr. Marshall Duke of Emory University indicates that children benefit from repetition of family stories. “Duke found that children who were exposed to family stories experience “higher levels of emotional well-being, and also...