by GIFT Coach | Sep 16, 2014 | Blogs by Guests, Difficult Discussions, Foster Care Adoption, General Discussion, Infant Adoption, International Adoption, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
In this week’s blog, we continue last week’s exploration of Difficult Conversations in the context of adoption. GIFT—Growing Intentional Families Together—is pleased to include another important voice from the wider adoption community. Beth O’Malley M.Ed. She is...
by GIFT Coach | Sep 9, 2014 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Difficult Discussions, Faith and Values, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
Last week our blog focused on living the reality of unconditional love under extremely challenging circumstances. This week we will look at some challenges to telling the entire truth of “their story” to our children. Some children come to adoption because of tragic...
by GIFT Coach | May 28, 2014 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, General Discussion
As parents, we appreciate the structure that rules bring to families. Sound rules establish firm, clear boundaries. This creates a secure framework for kids. It also offers them something to push against. Kids are born explorers—courageous, persistent they strain to...
by GIFT Coach | Apr 16, 2014 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Blogs by Gayle Swift, Blogs by Joann DiStefano, Faith and Values, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
Intentional Families recognize the importance of having fun as a family. Creating special family holiday traditions is a great way to accomplish this. Whether the event is religious like Passover and Easter, or secular, holidays are important events in a family’s...
by GIFT Coach | Jun 11, 2013 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, Faith and Values, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors, Strengthening Family Relationships
As we continue to explore the importance of fathers in our lives, we came across this TED Talk link to Andrew Solomon’s presentation. A gay man, he shared his parents’ attitude to his “otherness.” While they came to accept his being gay, they hung onto their sense of...
