Guest guest Posted May 12, 2009 Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 Hi all, I and my 2 1/2 year old are veg...my husband is omni...the problem I am having lately is that my son is sometimes wanting to eat meat that his dad is eating! For the most part my husband has discouraged him from eating any of it, but lately my son will just grab some and start eating it and really likes it! so I am not sure how to handle this. How can I explain that he can't have it especially when he likes it and his dad is eating it?? I know this is a tough situation, was wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue. I do not think my husband is willing to give up eating meat in front of son, he only eats it when eating out or if he cooks it himself. I'm afraid this is going to get even worse when my MIL is coming to visit soon if she sees this happen she will likely give him lots of meat when I am not around ( I'm having a baby any day) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2009 Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 Hello, I think you are in a real pickle. The problem is that you and your husband don't share similar eating habits. And the same sex parent is the most influential in a house, as research shows. So while you are saying one thing, he's watching daddy do another. Actions speak louder than words. If dad really supported the position to raise the child vegetarian then he would respect the notion of not eating it in front of him, thus leading him to want it. I really feel for you! Situations like this must be so hard.... I wish here was an answer and I really hope that others can provide some insight and suggestions. The best I could offer is to tell him that it's something only daddy's do. My kids see dad drink beer and they ask for it. I don't drink, so I tell hem that it's something that daddy's do. Of course, it was a strange situation at a birthday party when a woman started chugging from a bottle of beer and my daughter yelled loud enough for everyone to hear " She's drinking beer, that's only for daddy's, why is she doing that? " My thoughts were that they had no business drinking alcohol at a three year old's party, but that's another story. My honest opinion is that if you want your son to grow up vegetarian you have to get dad on board. And I mean really on board. And being on board means he doesn't eat meat in front him at such an impressionable age. If he refuses, then he really doesn't support the position because he's making no effort to support it. Then you have a real uphill battle for which I feel for you! Best of luck! Jacqueline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2009 Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 I have observed that raising children with an omnivorous parent is usually a slippery slope toward the child no longer being vegetarian unless some parameters are established and rather strictly enforced. I don't have any personal experience with this, though, only anecdotal experience via my friends. If it really bothers you, I would try to work something out with your husband so that meat-eating does not happen in front of your son until he is old enough to understand the issues. And your MIL needs to understand in no uncertain terms what is acceptable to feed your child and what is not. I have found that with certain people, if it's not explicit and plainly spoken, they will feel that you are flexible about the issue. You can be specific with her about how you are raising your son without being rude. Good luck to you. Marla > Hi all, > > I and my 2 1/2 year old are veg...my husband is omni...the problem I am having > lately is that my son is sometimes wanting to eat meat that his dad is eating! > For the most part my husband has discouraged him from eating any of it, but > lately my son will just grab some and start eating it and really likes it! so > I am not sure how to handle this. How can I explain that he can't have it > especially when he likes it and his dad is eating it?? I know this is a tough > situation, was wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue. I do not > think my husband is willing to give up eating meat in front of son, he only > eats it when eating out or if he cooks it himself. I'm afraid this is going > to get even worse when my MIL is coming to visit soon if she sees this happen > she will likely give him lots of meat when I am not around ( I'm having a baby > any day) > > > > > --- > > 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.This is a discussion list and is not intended to > provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a > qualified health professional. > > edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health > professional. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2009 Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 This happens to me sometimes with my 3 year old when we go to a family or friend's house to eat. Usually my friends or family will discourage him and tell him it's " yucky " or something and he usually just keeps going and forgets about it. Only a few times has he just grabbed meat himself and eaten it. My son is too young to fully understand that it's an animal and he shouldn't eat it - he just thinks it's food like everything else. So I don't make a big deal of it and let him swallow his bite or two and then divert his attention to his vegetarian food or something else. So at this age I wouldn't worry so much about him eating a few bites - he'll soon be old enough to understand why he shouldn't eat it and will voluntarily refuse it (hopefully). I would just really try to have your husband " hide " the meat from your sons view. It might be tricky getting your son to adopt a fully vegetarian lifestyle if he sees your hubby eating it...but I'm sure it can be done. Good luck! --- On Tue, 5/12/09, mylameoww <mylameoww wrote: mylameoww <mylameoww help with eating issue? Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 3:23 PM Hi all, I and my 2 1/2 year old are veg...my husband is omni...the problem I am having lately is that my son is sometimes wanting to eat meat that his dad is eating! For the most part my husband has discouraged him from eating any of it, but lately my son will just grab some and start eating it and really likes it! so I am not sure how to handle this. How can I explain that he can't have it especially when he likes it and his dad is eating it?? I know this is a tough situation, was wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue. I do not think my husband is willing to give up eating meat in front of son, he only eats it when eating out or if he cooks it himself. I'm afraid this is going to get even worse when my MIL is coming to visit soon if she sees this happen she will likely give him lots of meat when I am not around ( I'm having a baby any day) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2009 Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 I sympathize with you greatly. My husband is a carnivore and the girls will eat bacon with him and sometimes try other things. Marriage is a partnership and just people who are in interfaith marriages the two of you need to sit down and make a plan. Telling you child that eating meat is bad , can backfire on you. You do not want your child to think of daddy as bad for eating meat. your'e on a slippery slope. I no longer cook meat for my husband and most of the time he wiats until we are up stairs for the night to do his carniage or eat it at work. But when he does eat it, we let the girls choose because they are only 1 and 3 and I do not want them to be confused. Luckily it does not happen often and so they really hardly every try anything except bacon. So hopefully you and your husband can make a plan and agree to it. unita ________________________________ mylameoww <mylameoww Tuesday, May 12, 2009 3:23:48 PM help with eating issue? Hi all, I and my 2 1/2 year old are veg...my husband is omni...the problem I am having lately is that my son is sometimes wanting to eat meat that his dad is eating! For the most part my husband has discouraged him from eating any of it, but lately my son will just grab some and start eating it and really likes it! so I am not sure how to handle this.. How can I explain that he can't have it especially when he likes it and his dad is eating it?? I know this is a tough situation, was wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue. I do not think my husband is willing to give up eating meat in front of son, he only eats it when eating out or if he cooks it himself. I'm afraid this is going to get even worse when my MIL is coming to visit soon if she sees this happen she will likely give him lots of meat when I am not around ( I'm having a baby any day) __.._,_.___ Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages | Files | Photos | Links | Database | Polls | Members | Calendar 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.This is a discussion list and is not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. Change settings via the Web ( ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Terms of Use | Un Recent Activity * 3 New MembersVisit Your Group Give Back for Good Get inspired by a good cause. Y! Toolbar Get it Free! easy 1-click access to your groups. Start a group in 3 easy steps. Connect with others. .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 13, 2009 Report Share Posted May 13, 2009 I went through this situation with my son when he was 5. I try not to be overbearing about our eating habits, but informative. Husband is omni. I didn't stress too much about it, thinking of it as a natural curiosity. I have always packed his lunches, but his kindergarten class did a " green eggs and ham " day and he begged to be allowed to try it, and I let him. He did like it and let me know when he came home. He ate meat occassionally after that, mostly because it was new and different and what dad ate, but now he's almost eight and adamantly against meat without my (conscious) influence or deterrence. My daughter is 3 and also doesn't eat meat and shows no interest in it at all. , " mylameoww " <mylameoww wrote: > > Hi all, > > I and my 2 1/2 year old are veg...my husband is omni...the problem I am having lately is that my son is sometimes wanting to eat meat that his dad is eating! For the most part my husband has discouraged him from eating any of it, but lately my son will just grab some and start eating it and really likes it! so I am not sure how to handle this. How can I explain that he can't have it especially when he likes it and his dad is eating it?? I know this is a tough situation, was wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue. I do not think my husband is willing to give up eating meat in front of son, he only eats it when eating out or if he cooks it himself. I'm afraid this is going to get even worse when my MIL is coming to visit soon if she sees this happen she will likely give him lots of meat when I am not around ( I'm having a baby any day) > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 13, 2009 Report Share Posted May 13, 2009 Hi- I'm in an omni marriage. Occasionally poultry and fish make their way into the house-and God forbid!- sometimes I'm even the one who buys it for my husband. But on one thing we're very clear: the kids and I do not eat meat. We have 3+ kids, 5, 2, 1, and due-in-July. There have certainly been times when the kids have expressed curiosity/interest in meant eating. I don't think that banning them from meat-eating occasions, or banning meat-eating in the house by adults is the way to go- there are always holidays, etc. (especially things like you're out of the house for a few days having a baby!) that can't be missed, and everyone has to know how to handle the situation. Jacqueline (I think it was) had an excellent point- it's ridiculous to teach kids that the rules for everyone are the same- we would never say kids can drink beer just because the adults are. There are just some things adults do that are not okay for kids. One thing- my husband and I sorted most of this out before we got married- but as it pertained to kids, we DID have to iron it out before Lillian was born. Here's how I approached it: this is not one of those not-a-big-deal preferences. It'a a biggie- like religion or whatever else is vitally important in your husband's life. THIS is as important as it gets. As such, you expect your opinion to be respected, just as you would respect his wishes on something this important to him (in our house, that issue would be circumcision, which i am anti- and he is VERY pro-. He wins that one). And I explained that at some point, I would allow the kids to choose meat/no meat, but while I have control over what they eat, here's the way it will be. And I'm not kidding. How would your husband feel if he felt VERY strongly about something, and you let your son sneak behind his back and do it anyway? This is the same situation. But, I also married my husband because I knew he took all of this business seriously, and I do appreciate that. And I would take it so far as to say that if your MIL doesn't respect THE MOMMY, your kids will not be allowed to be with her by themselves. At that point, she can choose which way she wants to go. But it would be important to have his support on this with his mom. He should be the one to reinforce it- not you. She has to know you two are a unit. (as an aside, when I was at the hospital with my 2nd, my FIL (they were watching her) gave my daughter a piece of chicken, which she WAS asking for. She spat it out-thank goodness- and my in-laws DID tell my husband about it. Although I wasn't present to hear it, I know my husband set him straight and I have confidence it won't happen again) As far as your child goes, I would keep the dialogue going- we don't eat animals, whatever else you tell him currently. If he grabbed something else (inedible, or poisonous, whatever) from a plate and ran through the house eating it, what would you do? Probably chase him down and deal with it. I think it has to be the same here. Eating X is something we don't do. You get to choose later, when you're bigger, but right now I'm the mommy and I choose. Daddy chooses to eat meat, and I'm NOT his mommy. I don't like it, but again, I'm not his mommy. The hilarity of thinking about me being daddy's mommy is usually enough to distract them. Sorry this is sort of convoluted- I'm dealing with preggo brain. Hope it all makes sense. Best of luck. These are the thorny parts of marriage- merging two people, two sets of ideals, values, beliefs, and merging them into raising children in some sort of cogent manner. j. ________________________________ mylameoww <mylameoww Tuesday, May 12, 2009 2:23:48 PM help with eating issue? Hi all, I and my 2 1/2 year old are veg...my husband is omni...the problem I am having lately is that my son is sometimes wanting to eat meat that his dad is eating! For the most part my husband has discouraged him from eating any of it, but lately my son will just grab some and start eating it and really likes it! so I am not sure how to handle this. How can I explain that he can't have it especially when he likes it and his dad is eating it?? I know this is a tough situation, was wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue. I do not think my husband is willing to give up eating meat in front of son, he only eats it when eating out or if he cooks it himself. I'm afraid this is going to get even worse when my MIL is coming to visit soon if she sees this happen she will likely give him lots of meat when I am not around ( I'm having a baby any day) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 13, 2009 Report Share Posted May 13, 2009 My husband was omni, occassionally still eats chicken when going out. I have two children (6 and 4) and I always made sure that I explained to them why we don't eat meat. (Mostly for health, envirnmental and animal rights) When asked why daddy ate meat I always explained that it is hard sometimes to give up bad habits, so it was better not to start. I never allowed them to take food from my husband's plate. And hubby always supported me by telling them to ask me for whether they could eat something or not (he doesn't read labels.) Occassionally, my children showed some interest in what he was eating, but mostly they just tried to help him to stop. Eventually it worked to my advantage in a way because if he was eating something unhealthy the kids would just tell him so. We are still a work in progress...hubby is working toward vegetarian lifestyle, and daughter is working to like her greens more (hubby has been eating lots of those lately!) Don't give up, what ever your reasons. Laura Ballinger Morales ________________________________ mylameoww <mylameoww Tuesday, May 12, 2009 3:23:48 PM help with eating issue? Hi all, I and my 2 1/2 year old are veg...my husband is omni...the problem I am having lately is that my son is sometimes wanting to eat meat that his dad is eating! For the most part my husband has discouraged him from eating any of it, but lately my son will just grab some and start eating it and really likes it! so I am not sure how to handle this. How can I explain that he can't have it especially when he likes it and his dad is eating it?? I know this is a tough situation, was wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue. I do not think my husband is willing to give up eating meat in front of son, he only eats it when eating out or if he cooks it himself. I'm afraid this is going to get even worse when my MIL is coming to visit soon if she sees this happen she will likely give him lots of meat when I am not around ( I'm having a baby any day) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 13, 2009 Report Share Posted May 13, 2009 Similar to what another said, I don't have personal experience in this area but I have an opinion just from watching what has taken place in other families.... I hate to be blunt but I think you are fighting a losing battle unless Dad willingly and sincerely modifies his eating behavior in some way around your son and (I'm guessing) you probably need to modify your behavior around your son also. If Dad is passive/aggressive and doesn't see his part or truly support the plan to raise your child veg then you have much bigger relationship issues than what is on anyone's plate. Otherwise the " forbidden fruit " will become even more enticing and will likely morph into a point of rebellion and resistance over other issues and eventually it's a real power struggle. Whatever transpires and however you work this out, in the meantime you don't have to continue assisting in the omnification of your child by using the language of omnivores. And discuss this upfront with your partner - no passive/agressive stuff, pretending occasional animal/meat eating is okay with you when it's not okay. Meat is not meat, it is the flesh of dead animals. Breaded and fried bits of chicken flesh are not " nuggets " - which sound golden and valuable, they are pieces of dead bird. " Yes son you may try one bite of Daddy's dead bird. " Pepperoni or Salami are not some salty spicy pork products that sound deliciously exotic, they are ground up dead pig. " Yes dear child you may have one bite of Grandma's dead pig. " Hamburgers are dead cows etc. I'm not suggesting you actually say these things as bluntly as this around omni family members but you get the idea. Take the focus off of you and your efforts to control your child or your partner's food choices - that is not a winnable proposition. Even if you are successful, it is probably temporary or occurs only when you are nearby. But if the focus is on the animals that are on the plate you have a much better chance of raising a veg child. Grocery store outings with you and your child should purposefully include forays into the meat aisle on the way to get some other item, to pick up some important life lessons. You can mention that you want to hurry through this area because you don't like to be around/look at all of the dead animal body parts. With his ears and his eyes you will be teaching your child what dead animals look like, raw or cooked, ground up, intact slabs, breaded, sliced, ribs, bones, joints, skin etc. And also what your child looks like - a human anatomy lesson - " Gee that looks just like when you scraped your knee and it was all red and raw and oozy. " And finally, teach him the words/euphemisms omnivores (and some veggie people) use to describe foods made from dead animals. Anything less is not only an incomplete education, it is fraudulent to brainwash children into not seeing the animals all around them in whatever form, not just when they are warm, fuzzy and alive. And lastly, repeated showings of " Finding Nemo " and " Chicken Run " etc are a big help too! Best wishes, Danita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 13, 2009 Report Share Posted May 13, 2009 Hello, Good luck with your new baby! My household is the same as yours. The boys (5 and 3) and I are vegetarian and my DH is an omni. I'm not sure what advice to give you as every family has different dynamics. My boys will not touch meat (but they do sometimes pretend they are eating chicken which concerns me). They tell their dad that he should be a vegetarian. He actually agrees (but is too weak, his words, to do so). Sometimes he offers them meat (with me in the room) and they always turn it down (whew!). How I managed to get them to be like this, I'm not sure. Once my eldest put some turkey in his mouth and promptly spit it out. We read Herb the Vegetarian Dragon a lot. We talk about how animals are our friends and we don't want to hurt our friends (pigs are friends not food). We also stumbled across a poem in my oldest boy's favourite book (Read to Me Daddy). It's at home but I'll post it when I can. It is along the lines of a bird who is not scared of other animals but flies away when a well dressed gentleman arrives. We discussed it after reading (how people are sometimes mean to animals so they are scared). Well, the very next day by youngest (3) told his dad that he should stop eating animals and referred to the poem (no prompting from me). We have a live in nanny so the boys typically have eaten before we get home due to our hours. On the weekends we tend to make similar dishes. If DH has ste@k we have bbq tofu, etc. My side of the family is, for the most part, vegetarian or very close. I think that this helps a lot. We don't have any vege friends but I suspect they will soon meet some due to the diversity of the city in which we live. That helps too. If I think of anything else I'll let you know. Good luck!! Paula , " mylameoww " <mylameoww wrote: > > Hi all, > > I and my 2 1/2 year old are veg...my husband is omni...the problem I am having lately is that my son is sometimes wanting to eat meat that his dad is eating! For the most part my husband has discouraged him from eating any of it, but lately my son will just grab some and start eating it and really likes it! so I am not sure how to handle this. How can I explain that he can't have it especially when he likes it and his dad is eating it?? I know this is a tough situation, was wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue. I do not think my husband is willing to give up eating meat in front of son, he only eats it when eating out or if he cooks it himself. I'm afraid this is going to get even worse when my MIL is coming to visit soon if she sees this happen she will likely give him lots of meat when I am not around ( I'm having a baby any day) > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 13, 2009 Report Share Posted May 13, 2009 Excellent advice, Danita. I totally agree with your points! As a side... We also call it what it is (dead cow, pigs, chicken, cow milk, etc.). I think that helps them see the reality of it all. We also point things out at the grocery store. I don't spend a lot of time in that department, because I do find it so repulsive, but we do show the kids a few things and tell them what animal it is. They find it sad and it helps re-enforce the point I'm trying to drive home. FYI...Did you read in VegNews recently what Colleen Patrick-Goudreau wrote about calling it cow milk? It was a great piece. To assume there is " milk " and then soy milk, hemp milk, etc. is to act as if the standard is cow milk and then the others are all alternatives. The truth is that they are all forms of milk. If we are going to call it soy milk, hemp milk, almond milk, etc., then we need to call it cow milk as well. But I think Danita is right on. If you are going to go against your own wishes and let a child eat something you don't want them to eat I'd call it what it really is. But first off, I'd sit down and really ponder why I'm going against my own wishes, rather than finding more effective ways to enforce them. Jacqueline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 13, 2009 Report Share Posted May 13, 2009 P.S. This book comes out this month, it's my list already to purchase: That's Why We Don't Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans, Vegetarians, and All Living Things Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 13, 2009 Report Share Posted May 13, 2009 i looked at this. i will get it for when my girls are older. any suggestions for 1and 3 yr olds would be great. unita ________________________________ Jacqueline Bodnar <jb Wednesday, May 13, 2009 10:43:03 AM RE: Re: help with eating issue? P.S. This book comes out this month, it's my list already to purchase: That's Why We Don't Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans, Vegetarians, and All Living Things Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 13, 2009 Report Share Posted May 13, 2009 We had a similar thing last week. My house mate eats meat and my partner does too but he doesn't buy it, only eats it when it's on offer. So all meals together are made vegan and others will add dairy. Last week we had a party for a friend. I made vegan pastries and my housemate made pizza. There was a couple of meat ones. Anyway there were big platters of food ready for the pizza topping. One of the plates had this salame stuff and my 2.5 year old came in to the kitchen and saw all the toppings and pointed at the salame and started saying please mummy. I offered the pumpkinvand everything else that was around but he persisted. His dad said just let him have a little taste, he will hate it anyway. My housemate thought the same. It was getting to the point where if I kept saying no it would become this big thing and possibly my boy would want it more because it was such a big deal. So I said to his dad, it's your decision. You know how I feel but I won't be mad if you give him a tiny taste. So his dad did and we all expected him to spit it out but instead he ran through the house singing and dancing and loving it. I was devistated and everyone else thought it was rather amusing. Anyway I made his dad promise never to give him meat. He felt pretty bad about how much it upset me but I did give my blessing in a way. So my rules for avoiding such issues again is to not have meat eaten in front of him so as to not create curiosity about it. And of course reintrrating to everyone involved not to give it to him. His dad doesn't eat meat around him and I think that at this age it's just not fair for him to see others in his life eat stuff he can't have. It makes it special and they want it more because they can't have it. I'd suggest asking your husband to not eat it in front of him because it's just going to make your job harder. When they understand more and know why they don't eat it than it's prob a bit easier to deal with, but for now they can only eat what's given to them and only want what they can see others enjoy. Best of luck. It's hard if people are not being supportive. I think it comes down to respect. My partner may not agree completely with some of my parenting choices ( he thinks our son should have fish) but respects my decisions and also knows that I have a good understanding of nutrition and I do very well in feeding our son. I'm really feeling for you. X ange. On 13/05/2009, at 5:23 AM, " mylameoww " <mylameoww wrote: > > > Hi all, > > I and my 2 1/2 year old are veg...my husband is omni...the problem I > am having lately is that my son is sometimes wanting to eat meat > that his dad is eating! For the most part my husband has discouraged > him from eating any of it, but lately my son will just grab some and > start eating it and really likes it! so I am not sure how to handle > this. How can I explain that he can't have it especially when he > likes it and his dad is eating it?? I know this is a tough > situation, was wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue. I > do not think my husband is willing to give up eating meat in front > of son, he only eats it when eating out or if he cooks it himself. > I'm afraid this is going to get even worse when my MIL is coming to > visit soon if she sees this happen she will likely give him lots of > meat when I am not around ( I'm having a baby any day) > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 14, 2009 Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 My ex ate meat in front of the kids, but we have been separated 6 months and I have to admit, it is much easier this way...and he is in another state, so that makes it easier also. But, when my son was about 3 he started questioning eating and I felt like I kept saying, " we don't eat that " , or " that's Daddy's food " or something like that...until one day I realized he needed more explaining then that, but I didn't want to get into the harsh reality of it all at the age of 3. I didn't want to scare him, or make him feel like killing animals for food was " normal " , and if he knew about it so early, it might somehow be acceptable. So I just somehow stumbled on giving our eating a name one day, " vegan " . Before that, we never really referred to it like that to him because he was too young to understand. Once I put a name/title to it, it was like a light bulb went off in his head! Ever since then, he always asks, " is it vegan " before eating anything, and he became so proud to be vegan and basically told everyone and anyone who would listen that he is vegan, and today at 5, he still does. It wasn't until recently that he really started questioning what vegan really is and only because of hearing things from other kids. But, ever since he was born I made sure I emphasized certain things, unrelated to eating that I thought were important to being vegan. For example, it's ok to like a different color from a friend, being different is a good thing! Everyone is different, makes the world go round, etc...Eating a cow? Isn't that silly, we don't eat animals? etc... So, it became commonplace in our house that everyone does things differently and makes different decisions and that's ok. Now, the thought of eating a dead animal to my kids is so absurd. And, like someone else mentioned, I do make sure I let them know, we don't eat " dead " animals, but lately, my kids have been explaining to their friends, " we eat vegan chicken " like there are different kinds of cow, chicken, etc. as there are milks...soy, almond, hemp...etc. And, instinctively, we have been calling it " cow " milk for years, like someone else mentioned also. My kids just assume it's normal that some people drink cow milk, but we drink soy milk, hemp milk, almond milk etc....And, it's also helpful that one of their good friends has a serious nut allergy, so when we are eating something with nuts in it, they will always say, " Dylan can't have that, right? " . It's almost like an unspoken bond with someone else who can't have certain things....brings home the message that everyone eats differently and that is a normal and ok thing. Hope that made sense and helps a little! ~Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 14, 2009 Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 Hi! I love this forum but this is the first time I'm responding. I'm a vegan and my husband is not. He does not eat meat at home except when I'm away. I have two boys 11 and 13 who I have been raising vegetarian. The eldest will have nothing to do with meat. The younger one has been curious from an early age and models after his dad. At first I was so upset and outraged but I realized that I forbade it, meat would become a mysterious desirable object. I didn't want that to happen so when we're eating out or he's out with his father or friends, he can do as he chooses and he chooses meat sometimes. I continue to educate but I'm not going to force it on him. He does not get meat at home and I try to find soy substitutes like the fake bacon which he likes. I'm hoping he comes to his senses when he's older but for now this is the best I can do. Everyone needs to find the best way for them. I wish you all the best in your efforts. , " kch_in_ak " <kch_in_ak wrote: > > I went through this situation with my son when he was 5. I try not to be overbearing about our eating habits, but informative. Husband is omni. I didn't stress too much about it, thinking of it as a natural curiosity. I have always packed his lunches, but his kindergarten class did a " green eggs and ham " day and he begged to be allowed to try it, and I let him. He did like it and let me know when he came home. He ate meat occassionally after that, mostly because it was new and different and what dad ate, but now he's almost eight and adamantly against meat without my (conscious) influence or deterrence. My daughter is 3 and also doesn't eat meat and shows no interest in it at all. > > > , " mylameoww " <mylameoww@> wrote: > > > > Hi all, > > > > I and my 2 1/2 year old are veg...my husband is omni...the problem I am having lately is that my son is sometimes wanting to eat meat that his dad is eating! For the most part my husband has discouraged him from eating any of it, but lately my son will just grab some and start eating it and really likes it! so I am not sure how to handle this. How can I explain that he can't have it especially when he likes it and his dad is eating it?? I know this is a tough situation, was wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue. I do not think my husband is willing to give up eating meat in front of son, he only eats it when eating out or if he cooks it himself. I'm afraid this is going to get even worse when my MIL is coming to visit soon if she sees this happen she will likely give him lots of meat when I am not around ( I'm having a baby any day) > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 14, 2009 Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 Hi. You are so right. Thanks for your post. Diane ________________________________ jlavigne01 <jlavigne01 Thursday, May 14, 2009 8:48:50 AM Re: help with eating issue? Everyone needs to find the best way for them. I wish you all the best in your efforts. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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