when one parent is not vegetarian...

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I'm new to the group. I just had a baby 7 weeks ago and while he

won't be eating yet I want to start to get some guidance. I've been

vegetarian for 23 years and my husband is not. It has often been a

source of issues for us but he has agreed to raise our child

vegetarian. I'd love as much guidance as possible on how this

works ... are there books you recommend, websites I can visit? I'd

particularly love to hear from those of you in the same boat ... how

have you handled it -- both logistically and emotionally? What do you

tell your children when they're old enough? Does the non-vegetarian

partner eat meat in front of the vegetarian child?

 

My husband has always been ok with us not having any meat in the house

and when we go out to dinner he doesn't order meat in front of me. I

know he does when he's on business trips or lunches or when I'm not

with him. What now ... what happens when he takes my son to the

baseball game ... do the same rules apply? new rules? As you can see,

I'm struggling ...

 

Thanks for any guidance you can provide,

Meredith

[Guest guest]

Be encouraged! I WAS in the same boat. I had the same " fears " as you with my

first child. The only thing my husband and I discussed with regard to eating

was that our child would be vegan. He knew it was best. My husband brought

flesh home but never, or at least infrequently, ate it or prepared it in front

of my child. He ate meat whenever we ate at restaurants. From birth, I taught

my child that a vegan diet was best. Later, he began to question why Daddy was

eating meat if it wasn't " best. "

 

But miraculously, with the birth of our second child, my husband became a vegan

without any coaxing! Now life is so much easier and I have more peace of mind.

Furthermore, my husband has adopted the Hallelujah diet and is waiting for us to

join him!

 

My advice: Just be an example to your family and explain to your child why some

people are vegans.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

If he doesn't eat it in front of you then I don't think it would be too much to

ask that he not eat it in front of the child.

 

Jacqueline

 

>

> " meredithblake1 " <meredithblake1

> 2006/06/26 Mon PM 06:27:28 EST

>

> when one parent is not vegetarian...

>

> Hi,

> I'm new to the group. I just had a baby 7 weeks ago and while he

> won't be eating yet I want to start to get some guidance. I've been

> vegetarian for 23 years and my husband is not. It has often been a

> source of issues for us but he has agreed to raise our child

> vegetarian. I'd love as much guidance as possible on how this

> works ... are there books you recommend, websites I can visit? I'd

> particularly love to hear from those of you in the same boat ... how

> have you handled it -- both logistically and emotionally? What do you

> tell your children when they're old enough? Does the non-vegetarian

> partner eat meat in front of the vegetarian child?

>

> My husband has always been ok with us not having any meat in the house

> and when we go out to dinner he doesn't order meat in front of me. I

> know he does when he's on business trips or lunches or when I'm not

> with him. What now ... what happens when he takes my son to the

> baseball game ... do the same rules apply? new rules? As you can see,

> I'm struggling ...

>

> Thanks for any guidance you can provide,

> Meredith

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

i had to google the hallelujah diet, but it looks like that's pretty much

what we're doing without realizing it. lol.

 

 

On 6/26/06, admartin5 <admartin5 wrote:

>

> Be encouraged! I WAS in the same boat. I had the same " fears " as you

> with my first child. The only thing my husband and I discussed with regard

> to eating was that our child would be vegan. He knew it was best. My husband

> brought flesh home but never, or at least infrequently, ate it or prepared

> it in front of my child. He ate meat whenever we ate at restaurants. From

> birth, I taught my child that a vegan diet was best. Later, he began to

> question why Daddy was eating meat if it wasn't " best. "

>

> But miraculously, with the birth of our second child, my husband became a

> vegan without any coaxing! Now life is so much easier and I have more peace

> of mind. Furthermore, my husband has adopted the Hallelujah diet and is

> waiting for us to join him!

>

> My advice: Just be an example to your family and explain to your child why

> some people are vegans.

>

>

[Guest guest]

> My husband has always been ok with us not having any meat in the

house

> and when we go out to dinner he doesn't order meat in front of me.

 

Meredith,

 

My husband is the same - will not eat animals in front of me, and is

okay with no meat in the house. When we met I was vegan and I

compromised and allowed milk, eggs and cheese. I know he eats chicken

occasionally at lunch, but after several years of living with me and

getting to know the facts he HAS given up every other meat.

 

When our daughter was born (she's now 2), he agreed to raising her

vegetarian and he's vigilant about it (went off on a waitress when

they accidentally included meat in one of her meals). So I don't

think we'll have any problems with him " sneaking " meat to her when

their out without me (my SIL is a different story and I don't think I

will ever trust her alone with dd). It's the other children that she

will meet that I'm more concerned about. But hopefully we will have

taught her (and she will understand) the health benefits well enough

to avoid that peer pressure.

 

As for books - I bought Super Baby Food and found it somewhat useful,

but you might want to check it out at the library first. There's a

lot of work involved in her methods and I was just too tired when dd

was younger to do everything she recommended. I'm sure there are some

other good books that might be useful, just don't know them. Good

luck!

 

Phyllis

[Guest guest]

Although my daughter is 15 months old, I am in a similar

situtuation. My husband eats meat and when I first started dating

him I ate fish and chicken. Due to illnesses later on in our

relationship (before we got married and had children) I became a

vegetarian. I was a vegetarian as a youngster until I was a junior

in high school but Im getting off the subject. I decided that I

wanted to raise her a vegetarian, but to my dismay my husband and

his family are not comfortable with the idea. They see it as

something wrong and strange. I (and I don't know if I will keep up

my end of this agreement) have made a deal with my husband to let

my daughter try fish or chicken when she is between 3 or 5 years of

age. Im not comfortable with the idea, but they(he and his family)

are pushing for this. My thought on the subject is to let the child

make his or her own choice when she is able to grasp the concept of

where meat comes from and how animals are torutred and killed to

supply that " :happy meal " that everyone thinks she is missing out

on. I suggest that you go to your local library and get the book

raising a vegetarian baby/children, and also speak to your

pediatrician to get the facts. My pediatrician was not too

supportive at first due to my daughters small stature but we found

that her size was due to other medical conditions and not her eating

habits. If that does not satisfy your husband look for a pediatric

nutritionist. (I have found one my my area) that can help you plan

meals for your young one that will be wholesome and nutritious. In

the long run it would be much harder to raise a vegan child than a

vegetarian. Do you eat dairy products and eggs? Keep that in mind

as well. Good luck.

[Guest guest]

, " cilantro7772001 "

<cilantrochef wrote:

>

have made a deal with my husband to let

> my daughter try fish or chicken when she is between 3 or 5 years of

> age. Im not comfortable with the idea, but they(he and his family)

> are pushing for this. My thought on the subject is to let the child

> make his or her own choice when she is able to grasp the concept of

> where meat comes from and how animals are torutred and killed to

> supply that " :happy meal " that everyone thinks she is missing out

> on.

 

I think that by age 5 she can probably grasp the concept that " happy

meals " aren't happy. My SIL, despite not being a vegetarian, refuses

to eat beef and taught her daughters that 'hamburgers have worms' in

them - they're teenagers now and I've yet to see them eat beef. Maybe

you can use a similar deterant for fish and chicken and she'll decide

on her own that veggies are best. Good luck!

[Guest guest]

My daughter is 6 1/2. We get Kid's Meals from Taco bell. And we've gotten

kids' meals from Burger King in the past. I haven't gotten them recently - BK

is very inconsistent about how they charge some will charge the price for their

highest kids meal and others will charge the price for the lowest plus an

additional charge for the veggie burger. It comes down to a matter of I'm not

paying $6 for a kid's meal just so she can get a toy. I'm only willing to get

her a BK kid's meal IF we are somewhere where there are no other restaurants

with vegetarian options (that she will eat) around.

Renee

 

crowclark <none_ya wrote: --- In

, " cilantro7772001 "

<cilantrochef wrote:

>

have made a deal with my husband to let

> my daughter try fish or chicken when she is between 3 or 5 years of

> age. Im not comfortable with the idea, but they(he and his family)

> are pushing for this. My thought on the subject is to let the child

> make his or her own choice when she is able to grasp the concept of

> where meat comes from and how animals are torutred and killed to

> supply that " :happy meal " that everyone thinks she is missing out

> on.

 

I think that by age 5 she can probably grasp the concept that " happy

meals " aren't happy. My SIL, despite not being a vegetarian, refuses

to eat beef and taught her daughters that 'hamburgers have worms' in

them - they're teenagers now and I've yet to see them eat beef. Maybe

you can use a similar deterant for fish and chicken and she'll decide

on her own that veggies are best. Good luck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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