by Gayle Swift | May 9, 2018 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
Adoption deeply influences a family. IT MATTERS! Families must talk about it. If we resist or avoid conversations about adoption, our children will falsely infer that their adoption is a shameful secret. This may lead them to have conflicted emotions, identity...
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 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 | Jun 8, 2016 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
As a parent, mistakes, miscalls, misunderstandings, and miscalculations are inevitable. We all know that intellectually but still we beat ourselves up. Often we forget to respond with intention. (Remember the distinction between responding and reacting. The first is...
by GIFT Coach | Jan 27, 2016 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Difficult Discussions, General Discussion
Let’s face it, as adoptive families we frequently must field intrusive/offensive questions about our family, children and adoption. What Do I Say Now? by Carol Bick and M. C. Baker, illustrated by Sophie Meyer helps us address this issue. The book uses a...
