how to explain why others eat animals?

March 18, 2007

3 1/2 year old DD has just discovered that some people eat animals.

I can't seem to explain why some people do this to her satisfaction.

Does anyone have any ideas for this? I thought the hard part was

going to be explaining why it is okay to love family members when we

think what they are doing is a bad thing. And, I am sure it will be

just as hard when it comes up.

Since we are in a position that DD wouldn't know others ate meat

without being told, I thought it would be better to gradually bring

the subject to her rather than bombard her with images from say, one

year old. (Because we have that option - no daycare, no meal time

interaction with family, playdates are between meals, restricted TV

etc.) But actually introducing the subject has been more difficult

than I thought it would be.

She has never seen someone eating what looks like an animal - a quail

for instance. We have never been in situations where animal foods

were a problem based upon her age and recognition. However, recently

I have had to point out that she can't have something because it has

animal products in it ( bread, dairy ice cream, other menu items).

She is fine that some animals eat other animals. She seems to accept

this more readily. She even frequently asks what certain animals eat.

And, I have gently pointed out some people eat honey but we don't

because we don't want to take away the bees' food ( and we have agave

anyway). She accepts this just fine. Over a year ago, at a play date,

she mimicked the other kids and said she was cooking eggs. I asked

why would she want to harm baby birds. She became quiet and I

explained that cooking eggs meant the baby birds would never be born

and that would make the mommy bird and me sad. She agreed and

promptly went on to something else. She has the empathy and agrees

with our values, but is, of course, inquisitive at this age.

I am quite prepared to tell her why WE DON'T eat animals but don't

know what to say about why others feel it is okay. I do not want to

bring religion into the conversation yet. And I do want to be careful

to keep the issues of a bad decision (not our value) separate from a

bad person. So, how do I explain why some people eat animals?

I have mentioned that others weren't taught about how eating animals

hurt baby animals or the earth (she is into protecting the earth).

But why would their parents eat animals to start with - because they

are mean and violent?

I thought there would be books that I could read to her but haven't

found any. They all discuss why we don't eat animals and how it is

okay to stand up for yourself. Great topics but not helpful yet.

I'm sure that tots that are used to seeing other people consume

animal products want an answer to this question. So, how did you all

handle this?

Carrol

March 19, 2007

Oh goodness. We've been telling the kids from very early on that eating animals

hurts them, and they both love animals so they know we don't eat meat, but we

haven't gone into why other people do yet. Whenever you figure something out,

tell me!! I don't even want to think about that yet.

rtillmansmail <rtillmansmail wrote: