omnivore spouses

[Guest guest]

This is very much the same issue as inter-faith

marriages. When kids are involved, there will be

issues if parents don't model the same values. If you

want your kids to be veg... there will likely be

problems if your spouse is not.

 

Several months ago there were a number of people who

wrote, distressed about spouses & inlaws who ate meat,

some who even hunt.

 

It's difficult for a child to know which way to turn

when their parents have different belief systems.

They eventually become confused, or " in the middle "

and feel as though they have to choose sides. The

parent with stronger ethical values (i.e. animal

rights) is more likely the one who will be on the

" defensive " .

 

On the other hand... if what your children choose to

eat is not an issue for you, it really doesn't matter.

 

 

Michelle

 

 

 

Movies - coverage of the 74th Academy Awards®

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[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/25/2002 8:18:14 PM Pacific Standard Time,

dohdriver writes:

 

 

> But again, you'll probably just have to see when you're in the situation.

> FWIW, you may be able to increase your odds of finding a veggie to date by

> hanging out in veg-friendly venues (restaurants, health foods stores) and

> cgoing to veg*n events.

 

Or, you could do what I did and convert him!!!! I was extremely idealistic

and hard nosed when I met my husband. Right from the beginning I made sure

that he knew that I would never get serious about a meat eater, I spouted

facts every chance I got and made him eat at vegetarian restaurants. I

cooked for him so that he could see how good it could be. It didn't scare

him away, he became vegetarian and proposed after a month of dating, three

months later, we were married and six weeks pregnant! He is lacto ovo and I

am vegan, so there are few differences with that, but I can live with it.

 

Sara

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thank you to everyone who answered my questions!!! I

really appreciate it. I guess the question I had that

didn't get responded to was how do you answer the

kids' questions...If you're raising them to believe

that it's wrong to kill animals, what do you say when

they ask, " Why does Daddy eat animals? "

Thanks,

Keara

 

 

 

Movies - coverage of the 74th Academy Awards®

http://movies./

[Guest guest]

Regarding this question:

 

> If you're raising them to believe that it's wrong to kill animals, what do

you say

> when they ask, " Why does Daddy eat animals? "

 

This is a very good question and my husband and I have gone over and over it.

I do believe that it's wrong to kill animals, however, that is not what I

" use " as the reason for living veg. My reasons are centered around health and

overall well-being. Also, I still don't believe that our bodies are able to

process animal proteins efficiently. If and When the question comes up about

why daddy eats meat, I will say that it is a choice that he is able to make

as an adult as much as we don't agree with it. We respect and honor living

things and doing so, we have to respect and honor Daddy's choice and belief.

Also, he drinks beer and that is a choice an adult is able to make, but not

appropriate for a child. These are the reasons that I will give. There are

MANY choices that we make as an INFORMED adult that a child may not be

" allowed " to make on their own. There must be ways to communicate that to a

child, don't you think? Anybody else have any ideas? Because I, for one, will

have to deal with this question eventually myself.

- Sonia

[Guest guest]

Keara,

I'm afraid I didn't get around to answering the questions in your original post,

but I'd like to respond to this one. This was an issue for me and my DH when I

first became vegetarian over a year ago. After telling my husband of my desire

to raise our DS veg*n, his biggest concern was whether or not he would look like

" the bad guy " in his son's eyes. At first I didn't know how I was going to deal

with this issue, but then I found some good advice on a veg family website.

Basically, I think it boils down to letting my son know that people have to make

their own choices, and they often make these choices based upon how they've

always done things. This doesn't make them bad people --they just don't feel as

strongly about things as we do.

This hasn't really come up for me yet because my DS doesn't yet grasp the

meat=dead animals thing. However, I think this would be a reasonable way of

explaining to him why many of the people he loves eat meat without painting them

in a bad light.

Maria

 

keara shanahan <shantris2000 wrote: Thank you to everyone who

answered my questions!!! I

really appreciate it. I guess the question I had that

didn't get responded to was how do you answer the

kids' questions...If you're raising them to believe

that it's wrong to kill animals, what do you say when

they ask, " Why does Daddy eat animals? "

Thanks,

Keara

 

 

 

Movies - coverage of the 74th Academy Awards®

http://movies./

 

 

 

For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at

http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to

http://www.vrg.org/family.