Guest guest Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 Chandelle, this post made me think that I really want to recommend to people to start your own vegan family networks. Even if it's only one or two families, it's a great way to not only get support for yourself but also to raise your children with vegan peers. I started one in the Chicago area a couple of years back, and you wouldn't believe how much it's snowballed. Sometimes we get almost fifty people at the potlucks. We also have an annual camping trip and celebrate holidays together at our events (vegan Halloween!). It's so worth it and it's not much work to find another vegan family or two, no matter where you live. Knowing that my son is surrounded by vegan friends his age and kids who are older that he admires is so fulfilling. Anyway, I just wanted to throw that in. Marla > i actually just joined that group yesterday, isn't that funny? if it > doesn't work out, i will definitely start a group with you. i KNEW i wasn't > the only one who felt out of place amongst the WAPers in AP groups! > > i completely agree with you - veg support or parenting support but not > both. as for parenting support, i can only find that online and > occasionally among the parents at my husband's school. veg support, well, > we've converted my BIL and his wife to vegetarian and he wants to go vegan, > but now that i think of it, i have absolutely no support there at all > really. weird that as strangely as i parent, i would have more support for > that than living veg. i joined a local natural mothering group almost a > year ago. at first, it was completely my saving grace, because my husband > and i were doing things SO differently than everyone else we knew and we > were constantly being attacked and doubting ourselves and feeling so alone > and confused about whether it was really a positive thing to parent > instinctively. i joined that group and found a hundred women whose goals > and practices in parenting were just like mine!...in every respect but one. > in the profile it mentioned vegetarian living, and honestly, when i became > an AP parent (long before i knew there was something called " AP " ) i just > assumed that healthy food was included in that and that most every other AP > parents would be veg, or organic, or whole foods, or local foods, or want to > grow their own food, or use CSAs, or all of those at once, because i > consider keeping my kids in healthy foods to be absolutely integral to being > an AP family. but i have been so, so wrong. or at the very least, with > this WAP craze, other people's idea of " healthy " food is way off from my > own. it's extremely disappointing to be a part of this natural mothering > group, and be told continually that such-and-such is grateful for my > knowledge about breastfeeding, or my advice about homebirth, or my > experience with co-sleeping, or my ideas about slings, or what have you, and > then have that same person turn right around and say, how can you > consciously raise your child without animal fat? > > for a while i had a really wonderful tuesday playgroup. the kids were older > or younger than isaiah, but he did fine with them, and let's be honest - > playgroups are usually for the parents anyway. it keeps us from going > completely insane. but lately the group has been falling apart, most likely > because of me...not because i'm veg, although certainly we could never talk > about diet, but because i've left the church, and, well...that's another > thing altogether. in any case, now i don't even have the playgroup and i'm > sort of floating out there with no friends and no understanding family and > it sucks! > > so yes, let's try this group, carrol, and if it doesn't work, we'll start > one of our own. i would happily moderate. > > chandelle' > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 that's a great idea. how did you go about doing that? On 2/22/07, Marla Rose <marla wrote: > > Chandelle, this post made me think that I really want to recommend to > people > to start your own vegan family networks. Even if it's only one or two > families, it's a great way to not only get support for yourself but also > to > raise your children with vegan peers. I started one in the Chicago area a > couple of years back, and you wouldn't believe how much it's snowballed. > Sometimes we get almost fifty people at the potlucks. We also have an > annual > camping trip and celebrate holidays together at our events (vegan > Halloween!). It's so worth it and it's not much work to find another vegan > family or two, no matter where you live. Knowing that my son is surrounded > by vegan friends his age and kids who are older that he admires is so > fulfilling. Anyway, I just wanted to throw that in. > > Marla > > > > i actually just joined that group yesterday, isn't that funny? if it > > doesn't work out, i will definitely start a group with you. i KNEW i > wasn't > > the only one who felt out of place amongst the WAPers in AP groups! > > > > i completely agree with you - veg support or parenting support but not > > both. as for parenting support, i can only find that online and > > occasionally among the parents at my husband's school. veg support, > well, > > we've converted my BIL and his wife to vegetarian and he wants to go > vegan, > > but now that i think of it, i have absolutely no support there at all > > really. weird that as strangely as i parent, i would have more support > for > > that than living veg. i joined a local natural mothering group almost a > > year ago. at first, it was completely my saving grace, because my > husband > > and i were doing things SO differently than everyone else we knew and we > > were constantly being attacked and doubting ourselves and feeling so > alone > > and confused about whether it was really a positive thing to parent > > instinctively. i joined that group and found a hundred women whose > goals > > and practices in parenting were just like mine!...in every respect but > one. > > in the profile it mentioned vegetarian living, and honestly, when i > became > > an AP parent (long before i knew there was something called " AP " ) i just > > assumed that healthy food was included in that and that most every other > AP > > parents would be veg, or organic, or whole foods, or local foods, or > want to > > grow their own food, or use CSAs, or all of those at once, because i > > consider keeping my kids in healthy foods to be absolutely integral to > being > > an AP family. but i have been so, so wrong. or at the very least, with > > this WAP craze, other people's idea of " healthy " food is way off from my > > own. it's extremely disappointing to be a part of this natural > mothering > > group, and be told continually that such-and-such is grateful for my > > knowledge about breastfeeding, or my advice about homebirth, or my > > experience with co-sleeping, or my ideas about slings, or what have you, > and > > then have that same person turn right around and say, how can you > > consciously raise your child without animal fat? > > > > for a while i had a really wonderful tuesday playgroup. the kids were > older > > or younger than isaiah, but he did fine with them, and let's be honest - > > playgroups are usually for the parents anyway. it keeps us from going > > completely insane. but lately the group has been falling apart, most > likely > > because of me...not because i'm veg, although certainly we could never > talk > > about diet, but because i've left the church, and, well...that's another > > thing altogether. in any case, now i don't even have the playgroup and > i'm > > sort of floating out there with no friends and no understanding family > and > > it sucks! > > > > so yes, let's try this group, carrol, and if it doesn't work, we'll > start > > one of our own. i would happily moderate. > > > > chandelle' > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 A friend of mine introduced me to another vegan mother, who knew some other parents and I knew some others and they knew others. You catch the drift. If you don't know if any other vegan families, you can post something at a local natural foods store, a vegetarian restaurant, any sort of progressive establishment. There are probably places online to post that sort of thing, but I'm not very savvy about websites like Craigslist and the like. Marla > that's a great idea. how did you go about doing that? > > On 2/22/07, Marla Rose <marla wrote: >> >> Chandelle, this post made me think that I really want to recommend to >> people >> to start your own vegan family networks. Even if it's only one or two >> families, it's a great way to not only get support for yourself but also >> to >> raise your children with vegan peers. I started one in the Chicago area a >> couple of years back, and you wouldn't believe how much it's snowballed. >> Sometimes we get almost fifty people at the potlucks. We also have an >> annual >> camping trip and celebrate holidays together at our events (vegan >> Halloween!). It's so worth it and it's not much work to find another vegan >> family or two, no matter where you live. Knowing that my son is surrounded >> by vegan friends his age and kids who are older that he admires is so >> fulfilling. Anyway, I just wanted to throw that in. >> >> Marla >> >> >>> i actually just joined that group yesterday, isn't that funny? if it >>> doesn't work out, i will definitely start a group with you. i KNEW i >> wasn't >>> the only one who felt out of place amongst the WAPers in AP groups! >>> >>> i completely agree with you - veg support or parenting support but not >>> both. as for parenting support, i can only find that online and >>> occasionally among the parents at my husband's school. veg support, >> well, >>> we've converted my BIL and his wife to vegetarian and he wants to go >> vegan, >>> but now that i think of it, i have absolutely no support there at all >>> really. weird that as strangely as i parent, i would have more support >> for >>> that than living veg. i joined a local natural mothering group almost a >>> year ago. at first, it was completely my saving grace, because my >> husband >>> and i were doing things SO differently than everyone else we knew and we >>> were constantly being attacked and doubting ourselves and feeling so >> alone >>> and confused about whether it was really a positive thing to parent >>> instinctively. i joined that group and found a hundred women whose >> goals >>> and practices in parenting were just like mine!...in every respect but >> one. >>> in the profile it mentioned vegetarian living, and honestly, when i >> became >>> an AP parent (long before i knew there was something called " AP " ) i just >>> assumed that healthy food was included in that and that most every other >> AP >>> parents would be veg, or organic, or whole foods, or local foods, or >> want to >>> grow their own food, or use CSAs, or all of those at once, because i >>> consider keeping my kids in healthy foods to be absolutely integral to >> being >>> an AP family. but i have been so, so wrong. or at the very least, with >>> this WAP craze, other people's idea of " healthy " food is way off from my >>> own. it's extremely disappointing to be a part of this natural >> mothering >>> group, and be told continually that such-and-such is grateful for my >>> knowledge about breastfeeding, or my advice about homebirth, or my >>> experience with co-sleeping, or my ideas about slings, or what have you, >> and >>> then have that same person turn right around and say, how can you >>> consciously raise your child without animal fat? >>> >>> for a while i had a really wonderful tuesday playgroup. the kids were >> older >>> or younger than isaiah, but he did fine with them, and let's be honest - >>> playgroups are usually for the parents anyway. it keeps us from going >>> completely insane. but lately the group has been falling apart, most >> likely >>> because of me...not because i'm veg, although certainly we could never >> talk >>> about diet, but because i've left the church, and, well...that's another >>> thing altogether. in any case, now i don't even have the playgroup and >> i'm >>> sort of floating out there with no friends and no understanding family >> and >>> it sucks! >>> >>> so yes, let's try this group, carrol, and if it doesn't work, we'll >> start >>> one of our own. i would happily moderate. >>> >>> chandelle' >>> >>> >>> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 how did you get it going? Marla Rose <marla wrote: Chandelle, this post made me think that I really want to recommend to people to start your own vegan family networks. Even if it's only one or two families, it's a great way to not only get support for yourself but also to raise your children with vegan peers. I started one in the Chicago area a couple of years back, and you wouldn't believe how much it's snowballed. Sometimes we get almost fifty people at the potlucks. We also have an annual camping trip and celebrate holidays together at our events (vegan Halloween!). It's so worth it and it's not much work to find another vegan family or two, no matter where you live. Knowing that my son is surrounded by vegan friends his age and kids who are older that he admires is so fulfilling. Anyway, I just wanted to throw that in. Marla > i actually just joined that group yesterday, isn't that funny? if it > doesn't work out, i will definitely start a group with you. i KNEW i wasn't > the only one who felt out of place amongst the WAPers in AP groups! > > i completely agree with you - veg support or parenting support but not > both. as for parenting support, i can only find that online and > occasionally among the parents at my husband's school. veg support, well, > we've converted my BIL and his wife to vegetarian and he wants to go vegan, > but now that i think of it, i have absolutely no support there at all > really. weird that as strangely as i parent, i would have more support for > that than living veg. i joined a local natural mothering group almost a > year ago. at first, it was completely my saving grace, because my husband > and i were doing things SO differently than everyone else we knew and we > were constantly being attacked and doubting ourselves and feeling so alone > and confused about whether it was really a positive thing to parent > instinctively. i joined that group and found a hundred women whose goals > and practices in parenting were just like mine!...in every respect but one. > in the profile it mentioned vegetarian living, and honestly, when i became > an AP parent (long before i knew there was something called " AP " ) i just > assumed that healthy food was included in that and that most every other AP > parents would be veg, or organic, or whole foods, or local foods, or want to > grow their own food, or use CSAs, or all of those at once, because i > consider keeping my kids in healthy foods to be absolutely integral to being > an AP family. but i have been so, so wrong. or at the very least, with > this WAP craze, other people's idea of " healthy " food is way off from my > own. it's extremely disappointing to be a part of this natural mothering > group, and be told continually that such-and-such is grateful for my > knowledge about breastfeeding, or my advice about homebirth, or my > experience with co-sleeping, or my ideas about slings, or what have you, and > then have that same person turn right around and say, how can you > consciously raise your child without animal fat? > > for a while i had a really wonderful tuesday playgroup. the kids were older > or younger than isaiah, but he did fine with them, and let's be honest - > playgroups are usually for the parents anyway. it keeps us from going > completely insane. but lately the group has been falling apart, most likely > because of me...not because i'm veg, although certainly we could never talk > about diet, but because i've left the church, and, well...that's another > thing altogether. in any case, now i don't even have the playgroup and i'm > sort of floating out there with no friends and no understanding family and > it sucks! > > so yes, let's try this group, carrol, and if it doesn't work, we'll start > one of our own. i would happily moderate. > > chandelle' > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Like I told Chandelle, I found one other vegan couple, and I knew another one, and they knew others and so on. If you don't know other vegan parents, I would post something at a natural foods store or at an appropriate message board online. It's worth it! Marla > how did you get it going? > > Marla Rose <marla wrote: Chandelle, this post made > me think that I really want to recommend to people > to start your own vegan family networks. Even if it's only one or two > families, it's a great way to not only get support for yourself but also to > raise your children with vegan peers. I started one in the Chicago area a > couple of years back, and you wouldn't believe how much it's snowballed. > Sometimes we get almost fifty people at the potlucks. We also have an annual > camping trip and celebrate holidays together at our events (vegan > Halloween!). It's so worth it and it's not much work to find another vegan > family or two, no matter where you live. Knowing that my son is surrounded > by vegan friends his age and kids who are older that he admires is so > fulfilling. Anyway, I just wanted to throw that in. > > Marla > >> i actually just joined that group yesterday, isn't that funny? if it >> doesn't work out, i will definitely start a group with you. i KNEW i wasn't >> the only one who felt out of place amongst the WAPers in AP groups! >> >> i completely agree with you - veg support or parenting support but not >> both. as for parenting support, i can only find that online and >> occasionally among the parents at my husband's school. veg support, well, >> we've converted my BIL and his wife to vegetarian and he wants to go vegan, >> but now that i think of it, i have absolutely no support there at all >> really. weird that as strangely as i parent, i would have more support for >> that than living veg. i joined a local natural mothering group almost a >> year ago. at first, it was completely my saving grace, because my husband >> and i were doing things SO differently than everyone else we knew and we >> were constantly being attacked and doubting ourselves and feeling so alone >> and confused about whether it was really a positive thing to parent >> instinctively. i joined that group and found a hundred women whose goals >> and practices in parenting were just like mine!...in every respect but one. >> in the profile it mentioned vegetarian living, and honestly, when i became >> an AP parent (long before i knew there was something called " AP " ) i just >> assumed that healthy food was included in that and that most every other AP >> parents would be veg, or organic, or whole foods, or local foods, or want to >> grow their own food, or use CSAs, or all of those at once, because i >> consider keeping my kids in healthy foods to be absolutely integral to being >> an AP family. but i have been so, so wrong. or at the very least, with >> this WAP craze, other people's idea of " healthy " food is way off from my >> own. it's extremely disappointing to be a part of this natural mothering >> group, and be told continually that such-and-such is grateful for my >> knowledge about breastfeeding, or my advice about homebirth, or my >> experience with co-sleeping, or my ideas about slings, or what have you, and >> then have that same person turn right around and say, how can you >> consciously raise your child without animal fat? >> >> for a while i had a really wonderful tuesday playgroup. the kids were older >> or younger than isaiah, but he did fine with them, and let's be honest - >> playgroups are usually for the parents anyway. it keeps us from going >> completely insane. but lately the group has been falling apart, most likely >> because of me...not because i'm veg, although certainly we could never talk >> about diet, but because i've left the church, and, well...that's another >> thing altogether. in any case, now i don't even have the playgroup and i'm >> sort of floating out there with no friends and no understanding family and >> it sucks! >> >> so yes, let's try this group, carrol, and if it doesn't work, we'll start >> one of our own. i would happily moderate. >> >> chandelle' >> >> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 yeah, sorry, I replied before I saw Chandelle's note asking the same thing. Marla Rose <marla wrote: Like I told Chandelle, I found one other vegan couple, and I knew another one, and they knew others and so on. If you don't know other vegan parents, I would post something at a natural foods store or at an appropriate message board online. It's worth it! Marla > how did you get it going? > > Marla Rose <marla wrote: Chandelle, this post made > me think that I really want to recommend to people > to start your own vegan family networks. Even if it's only one or two > families, it's a great way to not only get support for yourself but also to > raise your children with vegan peers. I started one in the Chicago area a > couple of years back, and you wouldn't believe how much it's snowballed. > Sometimes we get almost fifty people at the potlucks. We also have an annual > camping trip and celebrate holidays together at our events (vegan > Halloween!). It's so worth it and it's not much work to find another vegan > family or two, no matter where you live. Knowing that my son is surrounded > by vegan friends his age and kids who are older that he admires is so > fulfilling. Anyway, I just wanted to throw that in. > > Marla > >> i actually just joined that group yesterday, isn't that funny? if it >> doesn't work out, i will definitely start a group with you. i KNEW i wasn't >> the only one who felt out of place amongst the WAPers in AP groups! >> >> i completely agree with you - veg support or parenting support but not >> both. as for parenting support, i can only find that online and >> occasionally among the parents at my husband's school. veg support, well, >> we've converted my BIL and his wife to vegetarian and he wants to go vegan, >> but now that i think of it, i have absolutely no support there at all >> really. weird that as strangely as i parent, i would have more support for >> that than living veg. i joined a local natural mothering group almost a >> year ago. at first, it was completely my saving grace, because my husband >> and i were doing things SO differently than everyone else we knew and we >> were constantly being attacked and doubting ourselves and feeling so alone >> and confused about whether it was really a positive thing to parent >> instinctively. i joined that group and found a hundred women whose goals >> and practices in parenting were just like mine!...in every respect but one. >> in the profile it mentioned vegetarian living, and honestly, when i became >> an AP parent (long before i knew there was something called " AP " ) i just >> assumed that healthy food was included in that and that most every other AP >> parents would be veg, or organic, or whole foods, or local foods, or want to >> grow their own food, or use CSAs, or all of those at once, because i >> consider keeping my kids in healthy foods to be absolutely integral to being >> an AP family. but i have been so, so wrong. or at the very least, with >> this WAP craze, other people's idea of " healthy " food is way off from my >> own. it's extremely disappointing to be a part of this natural mothering >> group, and be told continually that such-and-such is grateful for my >> knowledge about breastfeeding, or my advice about homebirth, or my >> experience with co-sleeping, or my ideas about slings, or what have you, and >> then have that same person turn right around and say, how can you >> consciously raise your child without animal fat? >> >> for a while i had a really wonderful tuesday playgroup. the kids were older >> or younger than isaiah, but he did fine with them, and let's be honest - >> playgroups are usually for the parents anyway. it keeps us from going >> completely insane. but lately the group has been falling apart, most likely >> because of me...not because i'm veg, although certainly we could never talk >> about diet, but because i've left the church, and, well...that's another >> thing altogether. in any case, now i don't even have the playgroup and i'm >> sort of floating out there with no friends and no understanding family and >> it sucks! >> >> so yes, let's try this group, carrol, and if it doesn't work, we'll start >> one of our own. i would happily moderate. >> >> chandelle' >> >> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2007 Report Share Posted February 25, 2007 Such a happy thing happened today!! We have been looking for a church since we moved here in July, and we were on our way today to a neat grocery store we wanted a few things from when we saw a Seventh Day Adventist church. We went in, and everyone was so friendly. They were having a meal afterwards, and I asked if it was vegetarian-friendly. The whole meal was!!!! Everything!! There were about a million and fifty different things, and I ran out of room on my plate before I could get a little of everything. It was all sooooo good! They have a meal after church every week, always vegetarian!!! I ate waaaaaay too much, and best of all we met some very nice people who are also vegetarians. They sat with us and they seem like really nice people. We swapped phone numbers and I was so glad to meet them. My husband even knew a guy there, they'd worked together not long ago. Such a neat day!! L Friend <mountain_laurel1183 wrote: yeah, sorry, I replied before I saw Chandelle's note asking the same thing. Marla Rose <marla wrote: Like I told Chandelle, I found one other vegan couple, and I knew another one, and they knew others and so on. If you don't know other vegan parents, I would post something at a natural foods store or at an appropriate message board online. It's worth it! Marla > how did you get it going? > > Marla Rose <marla wrote: Chandelle, this post made > me think that I really want to recommend to people > to start your own vegan family networks. Even if it's only one or two > families, it's a great way to not only get support for yourself but also to > raise your children with vegan peers. I started one in the Chicago area a > couple of years back, and you wouldn't believe how much it's snowballed. > Sometimes we get almost fifty people at the potlucks. We also have an annual > camping trip and celebrate holidays together at our events (vegan > Halloween!). It's so worth it and it's not much work to find another vegan > family or two, no matter where you live. Knowing that my son is surrounded > by vegan friends his age and kids who are older that he admires is so > fulfilling. Anyway, I just wanted to throw that in. > > Marla > >> i actually just joined that group yesterday, isn't that funny? if it >> doesn't work out, i will definitely start a group with you. i KNEW i wasn't >> the only one who felt out of place amongst the WAPers in AP groups! >> >> i completely agree with you - veg support or parenting support but not >> both. as for parenting support, i can only find that online and >> occasionally among the parents at my husband's school. veg support, well, >> we've converted my BIL and his wife to vegetarian and he wants to go vegan, >> but now that i think of it, i have absolutely no support there at all >> really. weird that as strangely as i parent, i would have more support for >> that than living veg. i joined a local natural mothering group almost a >> year ago. at first, it was completely my saving grace, because my husband >> and i were doing things SO differently than everyone else we knew and we >> were constantly being attacked and doubting ourselves and feeling so alone >> and confused about whether it was really a positive thing to parent >> instinctively. i joined that group and found a hundred women whose goals >> and practices in parenting were just like mine!...in every respect but one. >> in the profile it mentioned vegetarian living, and honestly, when i became >> an AP parent (long before i knew there was something called " AP " ) i just >> assumed that healthy food was included in that and that most every other AP >> parents would be veg, or organic, or whole foods, or local foods, or want to >> grow their own food, or use CSAs, or all of those at once, because i >> consider keeping my kids in healthy foods to be absolutely integral to being >> an AP family. but i have been so, so wrong. or at the very least, with >> this WAP craze, other people's idea of " healthy " food is way off from my >> own. it's extremely disappointing to be a part of this natural mothering >> group, and be told continually that such-and-such is grateful for my >> knowledge about breastfeeding, or my advice about homebirth, or my >> experience with co-sleeping, or my ideas about slings, or what have you, and >> then have that same person turn right around and say, how can you >> consciously raise your child without animal fat? >> >> for a while i had a really wonderful tuesday playgroup. the kids were older >> or younger than isaiah, but he did fine with them, and let's be honest - >> playgroups are usually for the parents anyway. it keeps us from going >> completely insane. but lately the group has been falling apart, most likely >> because of me...not because i'm veg, although certainly we could never talk >> about diet, but because i've left the church, and, well...that's another >> thing altogether. in any case, now i don't even have the playgroup and i'm >> sort of floating out there with no friends and no understanding family and >> it sucks! >> >> so yes, let's try this group, carrol, and if it doesn't work, we'll start >> one of our own. i would happily moderate. >> >> chandelle' >> >> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2007 Report Share Posted February 25, 2007 I've heard that many Seventh Day Adventist churches even have buying clubs, so you might even be able to order stuff through them. They do a lot of vegan and vegetarian stuff, I miss some of the Loma Linda stuff I used to get in college. I've only recently found out was through them. Of course we also had the free Krishna lunch on the lawn (always vegan and amazing). It's always nice when you come across something unexpected like this. Missie On 2/24/07, Kadee M <abbey_road3012 wrote: > > Such a happy thing happened today!! We have been looking for a church > since we moved here in July, and we were on our way today to a neat grocery > store we wanted a few things from when we saw a Seventh Day Adventist > church. We went in, and everyone was so friendly. They were having a meal > afterwards, and I asked if it was vegetarian-friendly. The whole meal > was!!!! Everything!! There were about a million and fifty different things, > and I ran out of room on my plate before I could get a little of everything. > It was all sooooo good! They have a meal after church every week, always > vegetarian!!! I ate waaaaaay too much, and best of all we met some very nice > people who are also vegetarians. They sat with us and they seem like really > nice people. We swapped phone numbers and I was so glad to meet them. My > husband even knew a guy there, they'd worked together not long ago. Such a > neat day!! > > L Friend <mountain_laurel1183 <mountain_laurel1183%40>> > wrote: yeah, sorry, I replied before I saw Chandelle's note asking the same > thing. > > > Marla Rose <marla <marla%40veganstreet.com>> wrote: Like I > told Chandelle, I found one other vegan couple, and I knew another > one, and they knew others and so on. If you don't know other vegan > parents, > I would post something at a natural foods store or at an appropriate > message > board online. It's worth it! > > Marla > > > how did you get it going? > > > > Marla Rose <marla <marla%40veganstreet.com>> wrote: > Chandelle, this post made > > me think that I really want to recommend to people > > to start your own vegan family networks. Even if it's only one or two > > families, it's a great way to not only get support for yourself but also > to > > raise your children with vegan peers. I started one in the Chicago area > a > > couple of years back, and you wouldn't believe how much it's snowballed. > > Sometimes we get almost fifty people at the potlucks. We also have an > annual > > camping trip and celebrate holidays together at our events (vegan > > Halloween!). It's so worth it and it's not much work to find another > vegan > > family or two, no matter where you live. Knowing that my son is > surrounded > > by vegan friends his age and kids who are older that he admires is so > > fulfilling. Anyway, I just wanted to throw that in. > > > > Marla > > > >> i actually just joined that group yesterday, isn't that funny? if it > >> doesn't work out, i will definitely start a group with you. i KNEW i > wasn't > >> the only one who felt out of place amongst the WAPers in AP groups! > >> > >> i completely agree with you - veg support or parenting support but not > >> both. as for parenting support, i can only find that online and > >> occasionally among the parents at my husband's school. veg support, > well, > >> we've converted my BIL and his wife to vegetarian and he wants to go > vegan, > >> but now that i think of it, i have absolutely no support there at all > >> really. weird that as strangely as i parent, i would have more support > for > >> that than living veg. i joined a local natural mothering group almost a > >> year ago. at first, it was completely my saving grace, because my > husband > >> and i were doing things SO differently than everyone else we knew and > we > >> were constantly being attacked and doubting ourselves and feeling so > alone > >> and confused about whether it was really a positive thing to parent > >> instinctively. i joined that group and found a hundred women whose > goals > >> and practices in parenting were just like mine!...in every respect but > one. > >> in the profile it mentioned vegetarian living, and honestly, when i > became > >> an AP parent (long before i knew there was something called " AP " ) i > just > >> assumed that healthy food was included in that and that most every > other AP > >> parents would be veg, or organic, or whole foods, or local foods, or > want to > >> grow their own food, or use CSAs, or all of those at once, because i > >> consider keeping my kids in healthy foods to be absolutely integral to > being > >> an AP family. but i have been so, so wrong. or at the very least, with > >> this WAP craze, other people's idea of " healthy " food is way off from > my > >> own. it's extremely disappointing to be a part of this natural > mothering > >> group, and be told continually that such-and-such is grateful for my > >> knowledge about breastfeeding, or my advice about homebirth, or my > >> experience with co-sleeping, or my ideas about slings, or what have > you, and > >> then have that same person turn right around and say, how can you > >> consciously raise your child without animal fat? > >> > >> for a while i had a really wonderful tuesday playgroup. the kids were > older > >> or younger than isaiah, but he did fine with them, and let's be honest > - > >> playgroups are usually for the parents anyway. it keeps us from going > >> completely insane. but lately the group has been falling apart, most > likely > >> because of me...not because i'm veg, although certainly we could never > talk > >> about diet, but because i've left the church, and, well...that's > another > >> thing altogether. in any case, now i don't even have the playgroup and > i'm > >> sort of floating out there with no friends and no understanding family > and > >> it sucks! > >> > >> so yes, let's try this group, carrol, and if it doesn't work, we'll > start > >> one of our own. i would happily moderate. > >> > >> chandelle' > >> > >> > >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2007 Report Share Posted February 25, 2007 That is so cool, Kadee! That sounds like a wonderful dream: you just pull over to a church to check it out and you're greeted by a great meal you can enjoy and nice people. Wow! Congratulations. Marla > Such a happy thing happened today!! We have been looking for a church since we > moved here in July, and we were on our way today to a neat grocery store we > wanted a few things from when we saw a Seventh Day Adventist church. We went > in, and everyone was so friendly. They were having a meal afterwards, and I > asked if it was vegetarian-friendly. The whole meal was!!!! Everything!! There > were about a million and fifty different things, and I ran out of room on my > plate before I could get a little of everything. It was all sooooo good! They > have a meal after church every week, always vegetarian!!! I ate waaaaaay too > much, and best of all we met some very nice people who are also vegetarians. > They sat with us and they seem like really nice people. We swapped phone > numbers and I was so glad to meet them. My husband even knew a guy there, > they'd worked together not long ago. Such a neat day!! > > L Friend <mountain_laurel1183 wrote: > yeah, sorry, I replied before I saw Chandelle's note asking the same thing. > > Marla Rose <marla wrote: Like I told Chandelle, I > found one other vegan couple, and I knew another > one, and they knew others and so on. If you don't know other vegan parents, > I would post something at a natural foods store or at an appropriate message > board online. It's worth it! > > Marla > >> how did you get it going? >> >> Marla Rose <marla wrote: Chandelle, this post made >> me think that I really want to recommend to people >> to start your own vegan family networks. Even if it's only one or two >> families, it's a great way to not only get support for yourself but also to >> raise your children with vegan peers. I started one in the Chicago area a >> couple of years back, and you wouldn't believe how much it's snowballed. >> Sometimes we get almost fifty people at the potlucks. We also have an annual >> camping trip and celebrate holidays together at our events (vegan >> Halloween!). It's so worth it and it's not much work to find another vegan >> family or two, no matter where you live. Knowing that my son is surrounded >> by vegan friends his age and kids who are older that he admires is so >> fulfilling. Anyway, I just wanted to throw that in. >> >> Marla >> >>> i actually just joined that group yesterday, isn't that funny? if it >>> doesn't work out, i will definitely start a group with you. i KNEW i wasn't >>> the only one who felt out of place amongst the WAPers in AP groups! >>> >>> i completely agree with you - veg support or parenting support but not >>> both. as for parenting support, i can only find that online and >>> occasionally among the parents at my husband's school. veg support, well, >>> we've converted my BIL and his wife to vegetarian and he wants to go vegan, >>> but now that i think of it, i have absolutely no support there at all >>> really. weird that as strangely as i parent, i would have more support for >>> that than living veg. i joined a local natural mothering group almost a >>> year ago. at first, it was completely my saving grace, because my husband >>> and i were doing things SO differently than everyone else we knew and we >>> were constantly being attacked and doubting ourselves and feeling so alone >>> and confused about whether it was really a positive thing to parent >>> instinctively. i joined that group and found a hundred women whose goals >>> and practices in parenting were just like mine!...in every respect but one. >>> in the profile it mentioned vegetarian living, and honestly, when i became >>> an AP parent (long before i knew there was something called " AP " ) i just >>> assumed that healthy food was included in that and that most every other AP >>> parents would be veg, or organic, or whole foods, or local foods, or want to >>> grow their own food, or use CSAs, or all of those at once, because i >>> consider keeping my kids in healthy foods to be absolutely integral to being >>> an AP family. but i have been so, so wrong. or at the very least, with >>> this WAP craze, other people's idea of " healthy " food is way off from my >>> own. it's extremely disappointing to be a part of this natural mothering >>> group, and be told continually that such-and-such is grateful for my >>> knowledge about breastfeeding, or my advice about homebirth, or my >>> experience with co-sleeping, or my ideas about slings, or what have you, and >>> then have that same person turn right around and say, how can you >>> consciously raise your child without animal fat? >>> >>> for a while i had a really wonderful tuesday playgroup. the kids were older >>> or younger than isaiah, but he did fine with them, and let's be honest - >>> playgroups are usually for the parents anyway. it keeps us from going >>> completely insane. but lately the group has been falling apart, most likely >>> because of me...not because i'm veg, although certainly we could never talk >>> about diet, but because i've left the church, and, well...that's another >>> thing altogether. in any case, now i don't even have the playgroup and i'm >>> sort of floating out there with no friends and no understanding family and >>> it sucks! >>> >>> so yes, let's try this group, carrol, and if it doesn't work, we'll start >>> one of our own. i would happily moderate. >>> >>> chandelle' >>> >>> >>> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 That's so nice to hear. I was raised SDA (hence the multi-generational vegetarian). It is so nice that you will be able to talk to a veg-friendly group! You also reminded me that I have to pick up some more veg food at the SDA store. My omni-husband was complaining that we were out of the fake " bacon. " Paula Kadee M <abbey_road3012 Saturday, February 24, 2007 10:06:04 PM Re: Vegan Family Network Such a happy thing happened today!! We have been looking for a church since we moved here in July, and we were on our way today to a neat grocery store we wanted a few things from when we saw a Seventh Day Adventist church. We went in, and everyone was so friendly. They were having a meal afterwards, and I asked if it was vegetarian-friendly . The whole meal was!!!! Everything!! There were about a million and fifty different things, and I ran out of room on my plate before I could get a little of everything. It was all sooooo good! They have a meal after church every week, always vegetarian!! ! I ate waaaaaay too much, and best of all we met some very nice people who are also vegetarians. They sat with us and they seem like really nice people. We swapped phone numbers and I was so glad to meet them. My husband even knew a guy there, they'd worked together not long ago. Such a neat day!! L Friend <mountain_laurel1183 @> wrote: yeah, sorry, I replied before I saw Chandelle's note asking the same thing. Marla Rose <marla (AT) veganstreet (DOT) com> wrote: Like I told Chandelle, I found one other vegan couple, and I knew another one, and they knew others and so on. If you don't know other vegan parents, I would post something at a natural foods store or at an appropriate message board online. It's worth it! Marla > how did you get it going? > > Marla Rose <marla (AT) veganstreet (DOT) com> wrote: Chandelle, this post made > me think that I really want to recommend to people > to start your own vegan family networks. Even if it's only one or two > families, it's a great way to not only get support for yourself but also to > raise your children with vegan peers. I started one in the Chicago area a > couple of years back, and you wouldn't believe how much it's snowballed. > Sometimes we get almost fifty people at the potlucks. We also have an annual > camping trip and celebrate holidays together at our events (vegan > Halloween!). It's so worth it and it's not much work to find another vegan > family or two, no matter where you live. Knowing that my son is surrounded > by vegan friends his age and kids who are older that he admires is so > fulfilling. Anyway, I just wanted to throw that in. > > Marla > >> i actually just joined that group yesterday, isn't that funny? if it >> doesn't work out, i will definitely start a group with you. i KNEW i wasn't >> the only one who felt out of place amongst the WAPers in AP groups! >> >> i completely agree with you - veg support or parenting support but not >> both. as for parenting support, i can only find that online and >> occasionally among the parents at my husband's school. veg support, well, >> we've converted my BIL and his wife to vegetarian and he wants to go vegan, >> but now that i think of it, i have absolutely no support there at all >> really. weird that as strangely as i parent, i would have more support for >> that than living veg. i joined a local natural mothering group almost a >> year ago. at first, it was completely my saving grace, because my husband >> and i were doing things SO differently than everyone else we knew and we >> were constantly being attacked and doubting ourselves and feeling so alone >> and confused about whether it was really a positive thing to parent >> instinctively. i joined that group and found a hundred women whose goals >> and practices in parenting were just like mine!...in every respect but one. >> in the profile it mentioned vegetarian living, and honestly, when i became >> an AP parent (long before i knew there was something called " AP " ) i just >> assumed that healthy food was included in that and that most every other AP >> parents would be veg, or organic, or whole foods, or local foods, or want to >> grow their own food, or use CSAs, or all of those at once, because i >> consider keeping my kids in healthy foods to be absolutely integral to being >> an AP family. but i have been so, so wrong. or at the very least, with >> this WAP craze, other people's idea of " healthy " food is way off from my >> own. it's extremely disappointing to be a part of this natural mothering >> group, and be told continually that such-and-such is grateful for my >> knowledge about breastfeeding, or my advice about homebirth, or my >> experience with co-sleeping, or my ideas about slings, or what have you, and >> then have that same person turn right around and say, how can you >> consciously raise your child without animal fat? >> >> for a while i had a really wonderful tuesday playgroup. the kids were older >> or younger than isaiah, but he did fine with them, and let's be honest - >> playgroups are usually for the parents anyway. it keeps us from going >> completely insane. but lately the group has been falling apart, most likely >> because of me...not because i'm veg, although certainly we could never talk >> about diet, but because i've left the church, and, well...that' s another >> thing altogether. in any case, now i don't even have the playgroup and i'm >> sort of floating out there with no friends and no understanding family and >> it sucks! >> >> so yes, let's try this group, carrol, and if it doesn't work, we'll start >> one of our own. i would happily moderate. >> >> chandelle' >> >> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 You could try starting a vegan meetup group for your area (google meetup if you are not familiar with this forum). It would not neccessarily be just " families " but is great way to meet other veg*ns and a lot of people use it and it has a really good setup for organizing events. Someone in my area started one less than a year ago and we now have over 50 people registered (plus family members and significant others that arent actually registered) and have fairly regular potlucks and other gatherings with 20-40 people including several families with children. The only downside is that there is a small yearly fee to start up a group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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