by Gayle Swift | Feb 16, 2018 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion, Strengthening Family Relationships
Life-affirming people make us feel better after being with them. The way they speak and interact resonates, refreshes & supports us. Through their words and demeanor, we feel heard, seen and, validated. They listen attentively and respectfully. We feel the...
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 | Apr 10, 2014 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, General Discussion
Last week we visited the concepts of the family Emotional Bank Account and the Family Memory Banks. Having explored the idea for a week, what changes have you observed? Once you set the intention to accent the positive, what kinds of things did you notice in both...
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...