Guest guest Posted May 30, 2003 Report Share Posted May 30, 2003 Hi everyone, I am having a problem with my 4 year old son. He is not vegetarian, which doesn't really bother me too much. What bothers me is that he won't believe that meat is an animal. All he ever says is " no, it's not " and I think part of that might be his age, but how can I get through to him? There doesn't seem to be much point in explaining to him why I'm a vegetarian if he doesn't believe that meat is animals!!! Sorry, this is very frustrating for me. Has anyone run across this before? Or have any ideas at all? Thanks, Amelia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 I have a 3 year old son and the other day we went to " La madeleine " , he saw the roasted chichen and asked me what is that?? and then is when I explained like a story of the chicken that was happy with his family and then he got killed to go on a plate. I know it is a bit dramatic but it worked and everytime we go there he tells me the story and finally he says " that is why you don't eat meat " Amy <belden wrote:Hi everyone, I am having a problem with my 4 year old son. He is not vegetarian, which doesn't really bother me too much. What bothers me is that he won't believe that meat is an animal. All he ever says is " no, it's not " and I think part of that might be his age, but how can I get through to him? There doesn't seem to be much point in explaining to him why I'm a vegetarian if he doesn't believe that meat is animals!!! Sorry, this is very frustrating for me. Has anyone run across this before? Or have any ideas at all? Thanks, Amelia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2003 Report Share Posted June 3, 2003 > " Amy " <belden > Another little kid problem! > What bothers me > is that he won't believe that meat is an animal. All he ever says > is " no, it's not " and I think part of that might be his age, but how > can I get through to him? Frankly, I'd quit trying. My son loves to contradict me on things I know he hasn't a clue about. Your son knows, or he'll decide to believe you later, or he'll hear it from someone else and then believe it. Try not to let it get to you, and focus on what's important in your relationship with him. Cheers, ~Doh --------- One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one. ~Agatha Christie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2003 Report Share Posted June 3, 2003 Perhaps this is a bit too vivid for him but this a suggestion. If there is a live poultry or turkey place near you, then take a little trip with him and have the workers explain the process to him. They could omit the gory killing parts of course. Maybe if he sees the before and after of a fresh killed bird then he would be convinced. Here in New York there are plenty of live poultry places where people buy their chicken " fresh " . Sorry if this grosses you out but again, this is just a suggestion.... - Amy Friday, May 30, 2003 6:23 PM Another little kid problem! Hi everyone, I am having a problem with my 4 year old son. He is not vegetarian, which doesn't really bother me too much. What bothers me is that he won't believe that meat is an animal. All he ever says is " no, it's not " and I think part of that might be his age, but how can I get through to him? There doesn't seem to be much point in explaining to him why I'm a vegetarian if he doesn't believe that meat is animals!!! Sorry, this is very frustrating for me. Has anyone run across this before? Or have any ideas at all? Thanks, Amelia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 4, 2003 Report Share Posted June 4, 2003 My oldest is 4 and is also in a very argumentative phase. She is veggie all the way and pretty gung ho at that but I think the contradictictory behavior is a 4yo thing. It seems kind of gross but perhaps if you took him to a conventional grocery store and let him peek back at where the butchers are hacking away it might register for him. You could even ring the service bell and ask the butcher to please tell your son what kind of animal hamburger comes from. Just curious, If you're vegetarian how come your son isn't? Best of luck. Stephanie , " Amy " <belden@d...> wrote: > Hi everyone, I am having a problem with my 4 year old son. He is not > vegetarian, which doesn't really bother me too much. What bothers me > is that he won't believe that meat is an animal. All he ever says > is " no, it's not " and I think part of that might be his age, but how > can I get through to him? There doesn't seem to be much point in > explaining to him why I'm a vegetarian if he doesn't believe that > meat is animals!!! > > Sorry, this is very frustrating for me. Has anyone run across this > before? Or have any ideas at all? > > Thanks, > > Amelia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 4, 2003 Report Share Posted June 4, 2003 Yup. It's the age. My four year old does that, too. it especially drives me bananas when she asks me a question, I say I don't know the answer and she insists that I do! LOL! Sandra, whose four year old gets very serious if you try to pretend to eat her body-parts in a game and replies " Mommy, we don't eat REAL meat, we're very-tarian! " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 6, 2003 Report Share Posted June 6, 2003 Hi Stephanie, I think that taking him to the butcher (or a local meat store, which we have in spades here) is a very very good idea. The grosser the better, because I think he's the kind of kid who thinks " if I do it, it isn't wrong " or " Gramma smokes, so smoking can't be bad " because he likes them. I've only been a vegetarian for about a year and a half. We don't have meat in the house, except for when my husband occasionally (rarely) buys lunch meat, and chicken nuggets, which my son was addicted to before I went veg. (I'm pretty sure that this is the last bag I will allow bought - we've had it for almost a year!) I guess I just didn't think it was a good idea to take all of a 2 1/2 year olds favorite foods away. I decided to go with introducing new foods, and gradually he hasn't eaten nearly as much meat as he used to. For example, when we have burgers now they are veggie burgers adn he can't seem to tell the difference, or maybe just likes both. (Does this make any sense?) Thanks for all the ideas everyone! , " Stephanie " <sjoynsen@a...> wrote: > My oldest is 4 and is also in a very argumentative phase. She is > veggie all the way and pretty gung ho at that but I think the > contradictictory behavior is a 4yo thing. It seems kind of gross but > perhaps if you took him to a conventional grocery store and let him > peek back at where the butchers are hacking away it might register > for him. You could even ring the service bell and ask the butcher > to please tell your son what kind of animal hamburger comes from. > > Just curious, If you're vegetarian how come your son isn't? > Best of luck. > Stephanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 Oh Sandra it's so nice to know my 4yo isn't the only one who no longer likes to be gobbled up by her mother. She used to love it, sigh. Thankfully my 18mo still does. Peace, Stephanie , Sandra Mort <sandra.mort@o...> wrote: > Yup. It's the age. My four year old does that, too. it especially drives me bananas when she asks me a question, I say I don't know the answer and she insists that I do! LOL! > > Sandra, whose four year old gets very serious if you try to pretend to eat her body-parts in a game and replies " Mommy, we don't eat REAL meat, we're very-tarian! " > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 11, 2003 Report Share Posted June 11, 2003 So glad you liked my suggestion. Let us know how it goes! Stephanie , " Amy " <belden@d...> wrote: > Hi Stephanie, > I think that taking him to the butcher (or a local meat store, which > we have in spades here) is a very very good idea. The grosser the > better, because I think he's the kind of kid who thinks " if I do it, > it isn't wrong " or " Gramma smokes, so smoking can't be bad " because > he likes them. > > I've only been a vegetarian for about a year and a half. We don't > have meat in the house, except for when my husband occasionally > (rarely) buys lunch meat, and chicken nuggets, which my son was > addicted to before I went veg. (I'm pretty sure that this is the last > bag I will allow bought - we've had it for almost a year!) > > I guess I just didn't think it was a good idea to take all of a 2 1/2 > year olds favorite foods away. I decided to go with introducing new > foods, and gradually he hasn't eaten nearly as much meat as he used > to. For example, when we have burgers now they are veggie burgers adn > he can't seem to tell the difference, or maybe just likes both. (Does > this make any sense?) > > Thanks for all the ideas everyone! > > > , " Stephanie " <sjoynsen@a...> wrote: > > My oldest is 4 and is also in a very argumentative phase. She is > > veggie all the way and pretty gung ho at that but I think the > > contradictictory behavior is a 4yo thing. It seems kind of gross > but > > perhaps if you took him to a conventional grocery store and let him > > peek back at where the butchers are hacking away it might register > > for him. You could even ring the service bell and ask the butcher > > to please tell your son what kind of animal hamburger comes from. > > > > Just curious, If you're vegetarian how come your son isn't? > > Best of luck. > > Stephanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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