Whole Hearted Parenting

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are entering the season during which we focus on
giving and gratitude. Thank YOU for making it
possible for me to do what I love -- helping families
create the homes they desire.

We are not born feeling grateful, and sometimes our
children may not seem to appreciate the many gifts
they have in their lives. We can actually help our
children gain the gift of gratitude. Join us for...

Beyond Please, Thank You and I'm Sorry
Teaching Children Gratitude Teleseminar
on December 14th
Click Here for Details

Would you like to invite more gratitude and joy into
your life?
Visit Debbie Milam's wonderful website,
Unlimited Inspiration

Visit Wes Hopper's website, Daily Gratitude, for a free
copy of his e-book, "The Astonishing Power of
Gratitude" and his free newsletter.

National Adoption
Awareness Month

November is National Adoption Awareness

Month. Congratulations to those of you whose

lives have been touched by adoption! If you

would like more information about adoption,

please check out these links:

National Adoption Awareness Month

Census Reports on Adoption

Whole Hearted Adoption Workshop

TRANS-FATS vs TBHQ

In recent years, more and more products added "partially- hydrogenated oil" as an ingredient. This is called a "trans-fat" which is a man-made
chemical that does not occur in nature. It is not eliminated on the Feingold Program because it has never been implicated in problems of
behavior, asthma, etc. - but we have written articles in our Pure Facts urging people to avoid it as much as possible for general health reasons.
Recently, the FDA itself has decided that there is no safe level of trans-fat, so -- just as they do for cigarettes -- rather than ban it, they are going
to force companies to put a warning on products that contain it. This new ruling will take effect January 1, 2006.

In response, many companies are changing their products to remove trans-fats. While we applaud this effort, of course, many of these products
will now contain an oil preserved with TBHQ, a petrochemical preservative not acceptable on the Feingold Program. For the general
population, this will lead to a massive increase in exposure to this chemical, recognized in research (Peters 1996) as promoting bladder cancer.
For the members of the Feingold Association, this means fewer products listed in our Foodlist & Shopping Guide as those products are removed.

When you buy your favorite snacks next time, look for the words "no trans-fats" -- if it is there, look for TBHQ where there is oil in the
ingredient lists. Some companies, such as Kellogg's, have a history of responsible listing, and are indeed listing the TBHQ when used.
Unfortunately, if you don't see it, that does not mean it is not there -- because companies are not required to list such "secondary" ingredients.
Look instead for the company phone number, and call them to ask if their oil now contains TBHQ. And while you're at it -- COMPLAIN!!
TBHQ has no health value for you; it allows the company to save money by buying oil in huge batches, storing it unrefrigerated, and using old
oil that should be rancid already.

From the Feingold Newsletter.

TAKING CHANCES, MAKING CHANCES

Lecturer Charles Hobbs sometimes tells about a woman who lived in London over a century ago.
She saved what little money she could working as a scullery maid and used it one evening to hear a
great speaker of her day. His speech moved her deeply and she waited to visit with him afterward.
"How fine it must be to have had the opportunities you have had in life," she said.

"My dear lady," he replied, "have you never received an opportunity?"

"Not me. I have never had a chance," she said.
"What do you do?" the speaker asked.

She answered, "I peel onions and potatoes in my sister's boarding house."

"How long have you been doing this?" he pursued.
"Fifteen miserable years!"

"And where do you sit?" he continued.

"Why, on the bottom step in the kitchen." She looked puzzled.

"And where do you put your feet?"

"On the floor," she answered, more puzzled.

"What is the floor?"

"It is glazed brick."

Then he said, "My dear lady, I will give you an assignment today. I want you to write me a letter
about the brick."

Against her protests about being a poor writer, he made her promise to complete the assignment.

The next day, as she sat down to peel onions, she gazed at the brick floor. That evening she pulled
one loose, took it to a brick factory and asked the owner to explain to her how bricks were made.

Still not satisfied, she went to a library and found a book on bricks. She learned that 120 different
kinds of brick and tile were being produced in England at the time. She discovered how clay beds,
which existed for millions of years, were formed. Her research captivated her imagination and she
spent every spare moment learning more. She returned to the library night after night and this
woman, who never had a chance, gradually began to climb the steps of knowledge.

After months of study, she set out to write her letter as promised. She sent a 36-page document
about the brick in her kitchen and, to her surprise, she received a letter back. Enclosed was
payment for her research. He had published her letter! And along with the money came a new
assignment - this time he asked her to write about what she found underneath the brick.

For the first time in her life she could hardly wait to get back to the kitchen! She pulled up the brick
and there was an ant. She held it in her hand and examined it.

That evening, she hurried back to the library to study ants. She learned that there were hundreds of
different kinds of ants. Some were so small they could stand on the head of a pin; while others were
so large one could feel the weight of them in one's hand. She started her own ant colony and
examined ants underneath a lens.

Several months later she wrote her findings in a 350-page "letter." It, too, was eventually published.
She soon quit her kitchen job to take up writing.

Before she died, she had traveled to the lands of her dreams and had experienced more than she
ever imagined possible! This is the woman who had never had a chance.

Some people wait for opportunity to come knocking. Here is a person who sought it out, proving
again that we can be more than victims of mere circumstance.

From Steve Goodier's Life Support System Newsletter. Click Here to Subscribe for Free!

Kathryn Kvols is the founder of the International
Network for Children and Families, a world-wide
parent training network that teaches skill-building
strategies to families.

Kathryn is the author of Redirecting Children's
Behavior and the creator of the transformational
parenting course of the same name.

Her most recent work includes the online course,
The Family Puzzle...Putting the Pieces Together,
designed to give families a 24-hour resource to help
them have more fun, improve inter-personal skills,
and experience more closeness.

Kathryn is available for public speaking engagements
and workshops. You may reach her in Gainesville,
Florida at (877) 375-6498 or kkvols@mac.net.