easy when they're young

[Guest guest]

Scott said:

 

<<zach's just turned four, and the hardest thing about his diet are

teaching him sensitivity to others' choice to eat meat and how to

politely turn down meat when it's offered to him, rather than giving his

gut-reaction response, which he freely shares with us-- " ewwwww, gross! "

and that's with 0% coaching, outside of explaining to him that we " don't

eat our friends. " anyone else had such an easy experience?>>

 

Our experience is a little different, but there are some similarities.

Anna is just about 3, and we talk about eating meat all the time. She

adores her grandfather, who eats meat at every meal and is still

concerned that she won't develop properly without it. So, even though

we live in a community where there are (some) other vegetarian families,

she is constantly faced with having to sit at a table with someone who

eats meat. And I agree with many on this list, that there's no point in

alienating our friends and family members while we try to set the

example of vegetarianism. So, we talk about it *a lot* whenever we're

in private. She's quite willful, and has pushed the envelope in almost

every way possible, except for this one. She really gets it that

there's a line in the sand we don't cross, even if people we love do.

 

It probably helps that she is allergic to peanuts, so she already has

something else that she knows it is very important that she not eat,

even if her friends do.

 

My problem is dealing with my parents' reactions whenever she tests the

limits by asking gently if she can have some of their meat. They look

at each other, and then at me, in a way that is quite clearly indicating

" see, she knows it's good to eat meat -- why are you depriving her? " . I

worry that my mother (who is in town only twice a year, thankfully) will

slip her some meat, which of course will make her sick, and will set up

a bad precedent regarding my authority as a parent. My dad might want

to, but he's an honourable man, and will not go against me.

 

But it seems to me that it's a lot easier to maintain control as a

parent while children are young...soon enough, she's going to be sharing

her lunch with her friends at school, and that's when I anticipate

things might be more difficult.

 

Liz Bakwin

(no problems with the list sending my software into a loop this time --

thanks!!)