Guest guest Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 Hi, I think I may have mentioned before that in addition to my baby, I have a 10yo stepdaughter (she lives with us - her mother passed away when she was 5 so I am a full-time mom for her). She will happily eat tofu, lentils, etc. etc., but she also likes the taste of meat and will eat it when she is with friends and family. She has been vegetarian for most of her life, even before I came along (I have been a more strict vegetarian, though). We include cheese in the house to make peace, and I can't argue that it tastes good. The other thing is, she just hates being different from everybody else. We try to give her things for her lunch that " look " normal. PB & J, Tofurkey turkey, bean wraps, hummus wraps, etc. On the one hand, I do not want to make a big issue out of it. My husband does, and I think it is just backfiring. On another hand, I am very aggravated with family that pushes the envelope because they think we are " depriving " her (I have just about given up with my husband's parents, and luckily they are far enough away that it's not a big issue - but when it comes to my son, I will certainly put my foot down a lot harder). And on yet another hand (I know, I know, I have three hands), I do NOT want to come across as a hypocrite and say, " Yes, it's perfectly fine with us that you eat meat when it suits you and still tell people that you are a vegetarian. " I am trying to be balanced about it, but finding it very difficult. I usually don't comment on it much at all, and tell her that she has to decide for herself what is right and wrong - but that we will never have meat in this house. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 Hi! I am new to the group, but this topic is a current one for me too. My 12 year old son does the same thing. Complains about the food I make for the family, refuses to eat some of it, and eats meat when he's out of the house. My family also nags me about denying the kids meat and the things that contain animal products. I have made several concessions to the kids, even allowing them to have fish and chicken once in awhile to avoid a fight. (I feel incredibly horrible about it!! So please.....) I don't know what else to do about it!! But his attitude is not contained to food issues... so I imagine that it is a just a " teen-itis " thing!! If you find anything that works... let me know!! Good luck to both of us! , " sazra73 " <sazra73 wrote: > > Hi, > > I think I may have mentioned before that in addition to my baby, I > have a 10yo stepdaughter (she lives with us - her mother passed away > when she was 5 so I am a full-time mom for her). She will happily > eat tofu, lentils, etc. etc., but she also likes the taste of meat > and will eat it when she is with friends and family. She has been > vegetarian for most of her life, even before I came along (I have > been a more strict vegetarian, though). We include cheese in the > house to make peace, and I can't argue that it tastes good. The > other thing is, she just hates being different from everybody else. > We try to give her things for her lunch that " look " normal. PB & J, > Tofurkey turkey, bean wraps, hummus wraps, etc. > > On the one hand, I do not want to make a big issue out of it. My > husband does, and I think it is just backfiring. On another hand, I > am very aggravated with family that pushes the envelope because they > think we are " depriving " her (I have just about given up with my > husband's parents, and luckily they are far enough away that it's not > a big issue - but when it comes to my son, I will certainly put my > foot down a lot harder). > > And on yet another hand (I know, I know, I have three hands), I do > NOT want to come across as a hypocrite and say, " Yes, it's perfectly > fine with us that you eat meat when it suits you and still tell > people that you are a vegetarian. " I am trying to be balanced about > it, but finding it very difficult. I usually don't comment on it > much at all, and tell her that she has to decide for herself what is > right and wrong - but that we will never have meat in this house. > > Any thoughts? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 i can't tell you how many times I've heard that we're 'depriving' our three children. I know I've mentioned before here, but my response (fake smile and being very nice about it all) is always, " I, know, I know. We'e depriving her of all that obesity, high cholesterol, cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis. It's terrible... " And I usually add a little head shake in there, like 'what am I thinking??? ' I have YET to have anyone EVER mention deprivation or even vegetarianism ever again after that response. Now, it may be because they think I'm totally off the deep end, but they probably already thought that, so who cares??? But I feel good because I didn't get defensive or angry and I remained friendly the whole time. No one would ever think to question someone's religion in the way that they question veg.- it's all totally out of line, as far as I'm concerned- unless it comes from a place of curiousity. My oldest child is at the age (5) where I'm willing to let her start making meat-type dietary decisions on her own. She has yet to decide to eat meat (thank goodness!), but I think you'll be better off for playing it low key like you're doing right now. That is much better than it being a big power struggle now, or God forbid, in 3 or 4 years. And you certainly don't want extended family 'sneaking' her meat behind your back with an 'it's our little secret, ha ha' kind of attitude. Sure, it seems a little hypocritical, but IMO it's in the best interest of all involved- and she is certainly at the age where she is starting to 'separate' from the identities of the parents and forge her own identity. Just keep talking to her about it- how you feel about it, how it goes against your beliefs, the reasons for it. With any luck, she'll come around. If not, well, every parent on the face of the planet has to deal with this issue at some point- your kid not living their life exactly as you'd like them to. One other thing (gee I'm feeling philosphical today!) - I would discourage her from wearing the badge of 'I am a vegetarian' unless she is qualified to do so- especially if she LIKES telling people she's a veg. It's not a good idea in life to tell people you are one thing, while your actions say something else. And this applies to all kinds of circumstances. Best of luck to you, and let us all know how it pans out! jenni ________________________________ sazra73 <sazra73 Friday, November 7, 2008 10:43:17 AM Pre-teen attitude? Hi, I think I may have mentioned before that in addition to my baby, I have a 10yo stepdaughter (she lives with us - her mother passed away when she was 5 so I am a full-time mom for her). She will happily eat tofu, lentils, etc. etc., but she also likes the taste of meat and will eat it when she is with friends and family. She has been vegetarian for most of her life, even before I came along (I have been a more strict vegetarian, though). We include cheese in the house to make peace, and I can't argue that it tastes good. The other thing is, she just hates being different from everybody else. We try to give her things for her lunch that " look " normal. PB & J, Tofurkey turkey, bean wraps, hummus wraps, etc. On the one hand, I do not want to make a big issue out of it. My husband does, and I think it is just backfiring. On another hand, I am very aggravated with family that pushes the envelope because they think we are " depriving " her (I have just about given up with my husband's parents, and luckily they are far enough away that it's not a big issue - but when it comes to my son, I will certainly put my foot down a lot harder). And on yet another hand (I know, I know, I have three hands), I do NOT want to come across as a hypocrite and say, " Yes, it's perfectly fine with us that you eat meat when it suits you and still tell people that you are a vegetarian. " I am trying to be balanced about it, but finding it very difficult. I usually don't comment on it much at all, and tell her that she has to decide for herself what is right and wrong - but that we will never have meat in this house. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 Maybe it's because we live in a city, but we have not had the " different " issues. My daugher often brings dinner leftovers for lunch, and insists that I pack extra of some things (like peanut noodle stirfry) for a coupole of her friends. You may want to remind your family members that what we eat is so much more important than what we don't eat (and food is fuel). --- On Fri, 11/7/08, sazra73 <sazra73 wrote: sazra73 <sazra73 Pre-teen attitude? Friday, November 7, 2008, 10:43 AM Hi, I think I may have mentioned before that in addition to my baby, I have a 10yo stepdaughter (she lives with us - her mother passed away when she was 5 so I am a full-time mom for her). She will happily eat tofu, lentils, etc. etc., but she also likes the taste of meat and will eat it when she is with friends and family. She has been vegetarian for most of her life, even before I came along (I have been a more strict vegetarian, though). We include cheese in the house to make peace, and I can't argue that it tastes good. The other thing is, she just hates being different from everybody else. We try to give her things for her lunch that " look " normal. PB & J, Tofurkey turkey, bean wraps, hummus wraps, etc. On the one hand, I do not want to make a big issue out of it. My husband does, and I think it is just backfiring. On another hand, I am very aggravated with family that pushes the envelope because they think we are " depriving " her (I have just about given up with my husband's parents, and luckily they are far enough away that it's not a big issue - but when it comes to my son, I will certainly put my foot down a lot harder). And on yet another hand (I know, I know, I have three hands), I do NOT want to come across as a hypocrite and say, " Yes, it's perfectly fine with us that you eat meat when it suits you and still tell people that you are a vegetarian. " I am trying to be balanced about it, but finding it very difficult. I usually don't comment on it much at all, and tell her that she has to decide for herself what is right and wrong - but that we will never have meat in this house. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 8, 2008 Report Share Posted November 8, 2008 Speaking as a young adult myself, i know that having vegetarian parents and having vegetarianism " forced " upon you without any say in the matter is a lot to deal with. Kids just want to do what they want, and to a certain extent, there is nothing wrong with that. I dont believe you should force your children to not eat meat. If they like it, they like it, no matter how unhealthy it is. Instead of " depriving " it from them, you should tell them and SHOW them with numbers and facts about how cruel, unhealthy, etc meat is for them, and in turn let them decide what is best for themselves.Expecting someone to be a vegetarian would be like expecting you to eat meat: You wouldn't like it. --- On Fri, 11/7/08, Lea <leap25 wrote: Lea <leap25 Re: Pre-teen attitude? Friday, November 7, 2008, 1:03 PM Hi! I am new to the group, but this topic is a current one for me too. My 12 year old son does the same thing. Complains about the food I make for the family, refuses to eat some of it, and eats meat when he's out of the house. My family also nags me about denying the kids meat and the things that contain animal products. I have made several concessions to the kids, even allowing them to have fish and chicken once in awhile to avoid a fight. (I feel incredibly horrible about it!! So please.....) I don't know what else to do about it!! But his attitude is not contained to food issues... so I imagine that it is a just a " teen-itis " thing!! If you find anything that works... let me know!! Good luck to both of us! , " sazra73 " <sazra73 wrote: > > Hi, > > I think I may have mentioned before that in addition to my baby, I > have a 10yo stepdaughter (she lives with us - her mother passed away > when she was 5 so I am a full-time mom for her). She will happily > eat tofu, lentils, etc. etc., but she also likes the taste of meat > and will eat it when she is with friends and family. She has been > vegetarian for most of her life, even before I came along (I have > been a more strict vegetarian, though). We include cheese in the > house to make peace, and I can't argue that it tastes good. The > other thing is, she just hates being different from everybody else. > We try to give her things for her lunch that " look " normal. PB & J, > Tofurkey turkey, bean wraps, hummus wraps, etc. > > On the one hand, I do not want to make a big issue out of it. My > husband does, and I think it is just backfiring. On another hand, I > am very aggravated with family that pushes the envelope because they > think we are " depriving " her (I have just about given up with my > husband's parents, and luckily they are far enough away that it's not > a big issue - but when it comes to my son, I will certainly put my > foot down a lot harder). > > And on yet another hand (I know, I know, I have three hands), I do > NOT want to come across as a hypocrite and say, " Yes, it's perfectly > fine with us that you eat meat when it suits you and still tell > people that you are a vegetarian. " I am trying to be balanced about > it, but finding it very difficult. I usually don't comment on it > much at all, and tell her that she has to decide for herself what is > right and wrong - but that we will never have meat in this house. > > Any thoughts? > --- 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 November 10, 2008 Report Share Posted November 10, 2008 I can see what you're saying about giving your kids the information and letting them make their own decision. It would have been much harder for me when I was a teen had my parents tried forcing meat on me. However, the decision to eat meat is not the same as the decision to not eat it. Being a vegetarian is about my moral convictions. Typically people do not have any moral convictions causing them to eat meat. My oldest child is 9 and is in a constant learning process as to why we don't eat meat. There will come a day when it will be her choice whether or not to eat meat, but that day is not now nor within the next several years. Regardless, there will never be meat in my house. That is a moral choice, not some simple decision. I will not give in and bring any type of dead animal into my home - ever. But then, I am still of the belief that with the right information, my kids will never ask for it. As I also hope that given the right information they will never choose to smoke or do drugs. Either way, it won't happen in our home. --- On Sat, 11/8/08, Atticus Anderson <atticusanderson wrote: Atticus Anderson <atticusanderson Re: Re: Pre-teen attitude? Saturday, November 8, 2008, 2:08 AM Speaking as a young adult myself, i know that having vegetarian parents and having vegetarianism " forced " upon you without any say in the matter is a lot to deal with. Kids just want to do what they want, and to a certain extent, there is nothing wrong with that. I dont believe you should force your children to not eat meat. If they like it, they like it, no matter how unhealthy it is. Instead of " depriving " it from them, you should tell them and SHOW them with numbers and facts about how cruel, unhealthy, etc meat is for them, and in turn let them decide what is best for themselves.Expectin g someone to be a vegetarian would be like expecting you to eat meat: You wouldn't like it. --- On Fri, 11/7/08, Lea <leap25 > wrote: Lea <leap25 > Re: Pre-teen attitude? @gro ups.com Friday, November 7, 2008, 1:03 PM Hi! I am new to the group, but this topic is a current one for me too. My 12 year old son does the same thing. Complains about the food I make for the family, refuses to eat some of it, and eats meat when he's out of the house. My family also nags me about denying the kids meat and the things that contain animal products. I have made several concessions to the kids, even allowing them to have fish and chicken once in awhile to avoid a fight. (I feel incredibly horrible about it!! So please.....) I don't know what else to do about it!! But his attitude is not contained to food issues... so I imagine that it is a just a " teen-itis " thing!! If you find anything that works... let me know!! Good luck to both of us! @gro ups.com, " sazra73 " <sazra73 > wrote: > > Hi, > > I think I may have mentioned before that in addition to my baby, I > have a 10yo stepdaughter (she lives with us - her mother passed away > when she was 5 so I am a full-time mom for her). She will happily > eat tofu, lentils, etc. etc., but she also likes the taste of meat > and will eat it when she is with friends and family. She has been > vegetarian for most of her life, even before I came along (I have > been a more strict vegetarian, though). We include cheese in the > house to make peace, and I can't argue that it tastes good. The > other thing is, she just hates being different from everybody else. > We try to give her things for her lunch that " look " normal. PB & J, > Tofurkey turkey, bean wraps, hummus wraps, etc. > > On the one hand, I do not want to make a big issue out of it. My > husband does, and I think it is just backfiring. On another hand, I > am very aggravated with family that pushes the envelope because they > think we are " depriving " her (I have just about given up with my > husband's parents, and luckily they are far enough away that it's not > a big issue - but when it comes to my son, I will certainly put my > foot down a lot harder). > > And on yet another hand (I know, I know, I have three hands), I do > NOT want to come across as a hypocrite and say, " Yes, it's perfectly > fine with us that you eat meat when it suits you and still tell > people that you are a vegetarian. " I am trying to be balanced about > it, but finding it very difficult. I usually don't comment on it > much at all, and tell her that she has to decide for herself what is > right and wrong - but that we will never have meat in this house. > > Any thoughts? > ------------ --------- --------- ------ 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 November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 Hi there, I think I understand what you are saying... the more militant the style of the message, the less likely it is the content will be heard. That is why I try to give her as much choice as possible about the foods we do eat, and I very rarely serve her kale sauteed with greens but instead make it blanched, the way she likes it. I guess it's just a matter of choice, just like with littler kids. I won't allow my son to demand macaroni and cheese every day and give it to him because that is what he wants (as a lot of other parents do around here); however, I will give him a choice between two healthy options, say hummus and rice with lima beans. However, I have to disagree with you - NOT serving meat in the house is not the same as forcing someone to eat something that they abhor. If I sat my daughter down to a plate of food she absolutely hated - such as mushrooms - and told her that she had to eat it, that would be a different story. An absence is not the same as a forced presence. I also believe that I would be an irresponsible parent if I let my kids just do what they want without guiding them. That is my job here, to set certain limits. As I explained to her tonight, we all grow up in families with certain moral convictions that guide actions. When we grow up, we either take those convictions with us, leave them behind, or form our own that hopefully grow from the seeds our parents plant. Actually, she responded very well to our conversation. She understands why it will never be okay to eat meat in this house. It will be a long road, though, considering how cruel other children can be when something is different from what they are used to. Sara , Atticus Anderson <atticusanderson wrote: > > Speaking as a young adult myself, i know that having vegetarian parents and having vegetarianism " forced " upon you without any say in the matter is a lot to deal with. Kids just want to do what they want, and to a certain extent, there is nothing wrong with that. I dont believe you should force your children to not eat meat. If they like it, they like it, no matter how unhealthy it is. Instead of " depriving " it from them, you should tell them and SHOW them with numbers and facts about how cruel, unhealthy, etc meat is for them, and in turn let them decide what is best for themselves.Expecting someone to be a vegetarian would be like expecting you to eat meat: You wouldn't like it. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 Jenni, I like your answer to the deprivation argument! I'm always tempted to tell people, in a horrified, shocked voice, " How can you possibly deprive those children of eating hummus! " The sneaking meat behind the back thing... that is a big one and hard to deal with. My stepdaughter spent a lot of time with her grandparents while her mother (also a vegetarian) was ill, and there were no meat or dietary restrictions, so I feel like I have to respect their relationship with her (which is deeper and longer than mine). I will not put up with the grandfather pushing sausage onto my son, however. I did have a talk with her this evening, and reiterated that she can't go around saying she's a vegetarian if she doesn't really mean it or follow through on it. She send the same grandparents ecards from PETA because she thinks it's funny. I put a stop to that and told her it was disrepectful, especially since she likes eating her grandmother's meatloaf. I just keep telling her why we don't (and won't ever) eat meat in this house, and that someday she will make her own decisions and that I hope she will look at all the information in front of her to guide her choices. It's so hard when kids make fun of her for eating sprouts - and she likes eating them! You couldn't pay me to be a kid of that age again. It's tough stuff. Sara , jenni claire garverick <jennigarverick wrote: > > i can't tell you how many times I've heard that we're 'depriving' our three children. I know I've mentioned before here, but my response (fake smile and being very nice about it all) is always, " I, know, I know. We'e depriving her of all that obesity, high cholesterol, cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis. It's terrible... " And I usually add a little head shake in there, like 'what am I thinking??? ' I have YET to have anyone EVER mention deprivation or even vegetarianism ever again after that response. Now, it may be because they think I'm totally off the deep end, but they probably already thought that, so who cares??? But I feel good because I didn't get defensive or angry and I remained friendly the whole time. No one would ever think to question someone's religion in the way that they question veg.- it's all totally out of line, as far as I'm concerned- unless it comes from a place of curiousity. > My oldest child is at the age (5) where I'm willing to let her start making meat-type dietary decisions on her own. She has yet to decide to eat meat (thank goodness!), but I think you'll be better off for playing it low key like you're doing right now. That is much better than it being a big power struggle now, or God forbid, in 3 or 4 years. And you certainly don't want extended family 'sneaking' her meat behind your back with an 'it's our little secret, ha ha' kind of attitude. Sure, it seems a little hypocritical, but IMO it's in the best interest of all involved- and she is certainly at the age where she is starting to 'separate' from the identities of the parents and forge her own identity. Just keep talking to her about it- how you feel about it, how it goes against your beliefs, the reasons for it. With any luck, she'll come around. If not, well, every parent on the face of the planet has to deal with this issue at some point- your kid not living > their life exactly as you'd like them to. > One other thing (gee I'm feeling philosphical today!) - I would discourage her from wearing the badge of 'I am a vegetarian' unless she is qualified to do so- especially if she LIKES telling people she's a veg. It's not a good idea in life to tell people you are one thing, while your actions say something else. And this applies to all kinds of circumstances. > Best of luck to you, and let us all know how it pans out! > jenni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 That is so wonderful... > Maybe it's because we live in a city, but we have not had the " different " issues. My daugher often brings dinner leftovers for lunch, and insists that I pack extra of some things (like peanut noodle stirfry) for a coupole of her friends. > You may want to remind your family members that what we eat is so much more important than what we don't eat (and food is fuel). I like this reminder, thank you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 I've thought a lot (and for some time now) about what people mean when they state, " you shouldn't force your beliefs on your children " or " you shouldn't force your children to be vegan or vegetarian " . I see absolutely nothing wrong with either or with teaching our children any value or belief we hold and would counter that parents do both of these (though in the case of diet, it is mostly it is " forcing " the children to eat meat) on a daily basis. As parents, we are supposed to do this. We are supposed to raise our children with what we believe are good values and beliefs and those come from what we value and believe. My parents " forced " me to eat meat because that is what they ate. When I was old enough to make my own decision, I did just that and became vegan. Why is it okay to " force " an omnivorous diet on a child and and not a vegan or vegetarian one? It is what we are in my family - vegan. Why would I have my children eat an omnivorous diet when the rest of our family doesn't and doesn't believe in the " mechanics " of producing animals for food? That would just be silly to teach something that I don't believe in or value. No one ever questions the other beliefs we teach our children such as religion - it is considered a personal preference and we respect the right of every parent to teach their child as they believe. Why should our belief in the type of diet we raise them eating be questioned? I really fail to see why one is okay and one is not? Why is one diet considered " forced " and the other not? I no more force my children to consume a vegan diet than my neighbors " force " their children to eat an omnivorous diet. It is a value and belief that we teach our children - in both instances. When they are old enough, as with all of the beliefs and values we teach our children, they are free to choose. Some may remain vegan or vegetarian, some may not. Some may remain Christian or Buddhist, some may not. I fail to see the difference. When my children were about 10 months old, a woman was horrified that I was raising my children vegan. She told me all I was depriving my children of such as McDonald's, jello, ice cream, cake, steak, and on and on. I then began asking her is she ever fed her kids quinoa or wheat berries and so on and so forth. Of course she had never heard of any of these healthy foods and said so and that she had never fed her kids any of these things. I then asked her how she could deprive her kids of such wonderful foods. The difference was that the foods I mentioned were healthy with no harmful side effects or ingredients. She could not say the same of the ones she mentioned. God's Peace, Gayle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 13, 2008 Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 Hi, I'm new to this group, and I just want to let everyone know how much I enjoyed this topic. My daughters are only 2.5 and 8 months old, so no attitude yet, but I'm really glad to have other vegetarian parents takes on it, and possible solutions. I will probably be me someday. I havent gotten much of people asking my why I do such a horrible thing, (raising my girls vegetarian that is), but more of a " what do you eat??? " sometimes followed by a head to toe assesment of us all to make sure we're alive.... Sometimes I'll give a list of things (tofu, lentils, beans, vegetables fruit and so on) and other times I'll just kind of feel sorry for the person asking, for really not knowing what to eat other than meat. Thanks, Kim , " sazra73 " <sazra73 wrote: > > Jenni, I like your answer to the deprivation argument! I'm always > tempted to tell people, in a horrified, shocked voice, " How can you > possibly deprive those children of eating hummus! " > The sneaking meat behind the back thing... that is a big one and hard > to deal with. My stepdaughter spent a lot of time with her > grandparents while her mother (also a vegetarian) was ill, and there > were no meat or dietary restrictions, so I feel like I have to respect > their relationship with her (which is deeper and longer than mine). I > will not put up with the grandfather pushing sausage onto my son, > however. > I did have a talk with her this evening, and reiterated that she can't > go around saying she's a vegetarian if she doesn't really mean it or > follow through on it. She send the same grandparents ecards from PETA > because she thinks it's funny. I put a stop to that and told her it > was disrepectful, especially since she likes eating her grandmother's > meatloaf. > I just keep telling her why we don't (and won't ever) eat meat in this > house, and that someday she will make her own decisions and that I > hope she will look at all the information in front of her to guide her > choices. It's so hard when kids make fun of her for eating sprouts - > and she likes eating them! You couldn't pay me to be a kid of that > age again. It's tough stuff. > > Sara > , jenni claire garverick > <jennigarverick@> wrote: > > > > i can't tell you how many times I've heard that we're 'depriving' > our three children. I know I've mentioned before here, but my response > (fake smile and being very nice about it all) is always, " I, know, I > know. We'e depriving her of all that obesity, high cholesterol, > cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis. It's terrible... " And I > usually add a little head shake in there, like 'what am I thinking??? > ' I have YET to have anyone EVER mention deprivation or even > vegetarianism ever again after that response. Now, it may be because > they think I'm totally off the deep end, but they probably already > thought that, so who cares??? But I feel good because I didn't get > defensive or angry and I remained friendly the whole time. No one > would ever think to question someone's religion in the way that they > question veg.- it's all totally out of line, as far as I'm concerned- > unless it comes from a place of curiousity. > > My oldest child is at the age (5) where I'm willing to let her start > making meat-type dietary decisions on her own. She has yet to decide > to eat meat (thank goodness!), but I think you'll be better off for > playing it low key like you're doing right now. That is much better > than it being a big power struggle now, or God forbid, in 3 or 4 > years. And you certainly don't want extended family 'sneaking' her > meat behind your back with an 'it's our little secret, ha ha' kind of > attitude. Sure, it seems a little hypocritical, but IMO it's in the > best interest of all involved- and she is certainly at the age where > she is starting to 'separate' from the identities of the parents and > forge her own identity. Just keep talking to her about it- how you > feel about it, how it goes against your beliefs, the reasons for it. > With any luck, she'll come around. If not, well, every parent on the > face of the planet has to deal with this issue at some point- your kid > not living > > their life exactly as you'd like them to. > > One other thing (gee I'm feeling philosphical today!) - I would > discourage her from wearing the badge of 'I am a vegetarian' unless > she is qualified to do so- especially if she LIKES telling people > she's a veg. It's not a good idea in life to tell people you are one > thing, while your actions say something else. And this applies to all > kinds of circumstances. > > Best of luck to you, and let us all know how it pans out! > > jenni > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 13, 2008 Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 Hi Kim, Isn't that the most amazing question?! " What do you eat? " Really? It seems fairly silly to me that they can't figure it out, and sometimes I want to just say, " Oh, usually dirt and the lint from our sweater pockets, that's about it. " :-) Wow. Here comes Thanksgiving, so we prepare ourselves - go ahead, everyone in unison: " we eat everything you do, except the turkey and things with animal products in them. " :-) (The latter part was added for the year that my aunt felt like she was being really helpful by removing the ham hock from the green beans before putting it on the table - just for us - to make it vegetarian.) My sweet ol' aunt. I guess she took our prior conversation about lacto-ovo to mean lacto-ham-o. :-) ugh. Have a great day . . . try not to eat your sweater. Lorraine On Behalf Of kimguest1 Thursday, November 13, 2008 11:42 AM Re: Pre-teen attitude? Hi, I'm new to this group, and I just want to let everyone know how much I enjoyed this topic. My daughters are only 2.5 and 8 months old, so no attitude yet, but I'm really glad to have other vegetarian parents takes on it, and possible solutions. I will probably be me someday. I havent gotten much of people asking my why I do such a horrible thing, (raising my girls vegetarian that is), but more of a " what do you eat??? " sometimes followed by a head to toe assesment of us all to make sure we're alive.... Sometimes I'll give a list of things (tofu, lentils, beans, vegetables fruit and so on) and other times I'll just kind of feel sorry for the person asking, for really not knowing what to eat other than meat. Thanks, Kim @gro <%40> ups.com, " sazra73 " <sazra73 wrote: > > Jenni, I like your answer to the deprivation argument! I'm always > tempted to tell people, in a horrified, shocked voice, " How can you > possibly deprive those children of eating hummus! " > The sneaking meat behind the back thing... that is a big one and hard > to deal with. My stepdaughter spent a lot of time with her > grandparents while her mother (also a vegetarian) was ill, and there > were no meat or dietary restrictions, so I feel like I have to respect > their relationship with her (which is deeper and longer than mine). I > will not put up with the grandfather pushing sausage onto my son, > however. > I did have a talk with her this evening, and reiterated that she can't > go around saying she's a vegetarian if she doesn't really mean it or > follow through on it. She send the same grandparents ecards from PETA > because she thinks it's funny. I put a stop to that and told her it > was disrepectful, especially since she likes eating her grandmother's > meatloaf. > I just keep telling her why we don't (and won't ever) eat meat in this > house, and that someday she will make her own decisions and that I > hope she will look at all the information in front of her to guide her > choices. It's so hard when kids make fun of her for eating sprouts - > and she likes eating them! You couldn't pay me to be a kid of that > age again. It's tough stuff. > > Sara > @gro <%40> ups.com, jenni claire garverick > <jennigarverick@> wrote: > > > > i can't tell you how many times I've heard that we're 'depriving' > our three children. I know I've mentioned before here, but my response > (fake smile and being very nice about it all) is always, " I, know, I > know. We'e depriving her of all that obesity, high cholesterol, > cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis. It's terrible... " And I > usually add a little head shake in there, like 'what am I thinking??? > ' I have YET to have anyone EVER mention deprivation or even > vegetarianism ever again after that response. Now, it may be because > they think I'm totally off the deep end, but they probably already > thought that, so who cares??? But I feel good because I didn't get > defensive or angry and I remained friendly the whole time. No one > would ever think to question someone's religion in the way that they > question veg.- it's all totally out of line, as far as I'm concerned- > unless it comes from a place of curiousity. > > My oldest child is at the age (5) where I'm willing to let her start > making meat-type dietary decisions on her own. She has yet to decide > to eat meat (thank goodness!), but I think you'll be better off for > playing it low key like you're doing right now. That is much better > than it being a big power struggle now, or God forbid, in 3 or 4 > years. And you certainly don't want extended family 'sneaking' her > meat behind your back with an 'it's our little secret, ha ha' kind of > attitude. Sure, it seems a little hypocritical, but IMO it's in the > best interest of all involved- and she is certainly at the age where > she is starting to 'separate' from the identities of the parents and > forge her own identity. Just keep talking to her about it- how you > feel about it, how it goes against your beliefs, the reasons for it. > With any luck, she'll come around. If not, well, every parent on the > face of the planet has to deal with this issue at some point- your kid > not living > > their life exactly as you'd like them to. > > One other thing (gee I'm feeling philosphical today!) - I would > discourage her from wearing the badge of 'I am a vegetarian' unless > she is qualified to do so- especially if she LIKES telling people > she's a veg. It's not a good idea in life to tell people you are one > thing, while your actions say something else. And this applies to all > kinds of circumstances. > > Best of luck to you, and let us all know how it pans out! > > jenni > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 Gayle, I understand where you are coming from, but I do personally believe tolerance is the most important value we can teach our children. So many individuals hate, resent, are cruel to others, etc. because they see only their world view and no one else's. I am doing my best to instill the values I believe in within my child, but there is a point where I have to let go and trust him to make his own decisions, including mistakes. My parents gave me the freedom to be vegan at the young age of 15. If they had believed that their values (hunting family that ate anything they could shoot, including squirrels and rabbits) must be superimposed on me and not allowed me the free will to be who I am, I am not sure where I would be today. I do keep a vegan house, but I also recognize that my child is his own person and has the same right to decide what he wants in his life (within legal limits) whether I like it or not. If eating meat is important to him he can use an allowance to buy a pot and learn to cook it, I will not- but I will accommodate his choices. I have not yet had to face this, but I do know that forcing someone to live by your values can often cause rebellion- when they might actually be in alignment with you, but just for the sake of rebellion. When I think about it, I live in L.A. walking distance from gangs, where children are shot, or they are criminals, even sexually active without protection. the least of my worries is if he wants a hamburger at some point in his life. But that is just where my husband and I are with it. I want you to know I respect your choice to raise your family in a way that suits your values, this is in no way an argument to your right to do this or saying that I don't agree- I think this is a personal/ family decision. I just wanted to provide another opinion from someone who thinks differently so you might understand why we might have this view. If I want meat eaters and others with values different from mine to treat me with respect and tolerance I need to lead the way by showing them how it is done. Respectfully, Paige _____ On Behalf Of Gayle Tuesday, November 11, 2008 11:54 PM Re: Re: Pre-teen attitude? I've thought a lot (and for some time now) about what people mean when they state, " you shouldn't force your beliefs on your children " or " you shouldn't force your children to be vegan or vegetarian " . I see absolutely nothing wrong with either or with teaching our children any value or belief we hold and would counter that parents do both of these (though in the case of diet, it is mostly it is " forcing " the children to eat meat) on a daily basis. As parents, we are supposed to do this. We are supposed to raise our children with what we believe are good values and beliefs and those come from what we value and believe. My parents " forced " me to eat meat because that is what they ate. When I was old enough to make my own decision, I did just that and became vegan. Why is it okay to " force " an omnivorous diet on a child and and not a vegan or vegetarian one? It is what we are in my family - vegan. Why would I have my children eat an omnivorous diet when the rest of our family doesn't and doesn't believe in the " mechanics " of producing animals for food? That would just be silly to teach something that I don't believe in or value. No one ever questions the other beliefs we teach our children such as religion - it is considered a personal preference and we respect the right of every parent to teach their child as they believe. Why should our belief in the type of diet we raise them eating be questioned? I really fail to see why one is okay and one is not? Why is one diet considered " forced " and the other not? I no more force my children to consume a vegan diet than my neighbors " force " their children to eat an omnivorous diet. It is a value and belief that we teach our children - in both instances. When they are old enough, as with all of the beliefs and values we teach our children, they are free to choose. Some may remain vegan or vegetarian, some may not. Some may remain Christian or Buddhist, some may not. I fail to see the difference. When my children were about 10 months old, a woman was horrified that I was raising my children vegan. She told me all I was depriving my children of such as McDonald's, jello, ice cream, cake, steak, and on and on. I then began asking her is she ever fed her kids quinoa or wheat berries and so on and so forth. Of course she had never heard of any of these healthy foods and said so and that she had never fed her kids any of these things. I then asked her how she could deprive her kids of such wonderful foods. The difference was that the foods I mentioned were healthy with no harmful side effects or ingredients. She could not say the same of the ones she mentioned. God's Peace, Gayle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 This country believes doritos and soda is a snack. Goldfish is the end of all of toddler foods. It makes me crazy thinking about the American diet and how we kill our children. The FDA needs to be replaced with an agency that understands foods come from plants and trees not factories. ________________________________ kimguest1 <kimguest1 Thursday, November 13, 2008 2:41:57 PM Re: Pre-teen attitude? Hi, I'm new to this group, and I just want to let everyone know how much I enjoyed this topic. My daughters are only 2.5 and 8 months old, so no attitude yet, but I'm really glad to have other vegetarian parents takes on it, and possible solutions. I will probably be me someday. I havent gotten much of people asking my why I do such a horrible thing, (raising my girls vegetarian that is), but more of a " what do you eat??? " sometimes followed by a head to toe assesment of us all to make sure we're alive.... Sometimes I'll give a list of things (tofu, lentils, beans, vegetables fruit and so on) and other times I'll just kind of feel sorry for the person asking, for really not knowing what to eat other than meat. Thanks, Kim @gro ups.com, " sazra73 " <sazra73 > wrote: > > Jenni, I like your answer to the deprivation argument! I'm always > tempted to tell people, in a horrified, shocked voice, " How can you > possibly deprive those children of eating hummus! " > The sneaking meat behind the back thing... that is a big one and hard > to deal with. My stepdaughter spent a lot of time with her > grandparents while her mother (also a vegetarian) was ill, and there > were no meat or dietary restrictions, so I feel like I have to respect > their relationship with her (which is deeper and longer than mine). I > will not put up with the grandfather pushing sausage onto my son, > however. > I did have a talk with her this evening, and reiterated that she can't > go around saying she's a vegetarian if she doesn't really mean it or > follow through on it. She send the same grandparents ecards from PETA > because she thinks it's funny. I put a stop to that and told her it > was disrepectful, especially since she likes eating her grandmother' s > meatloaf. > I just keep telling her why we don't (and won't ever) eat meat in this > house, and that someday she will make her own decisions and that I > hope she will look at all the information in front of her to guide her > choices. It's so hard when kids make fun of her for eating sprouts - > and she likes eating them! You couldn't pay me to be a kid of that > age again. It's tough stuff. > > Sara > @gro ups.com, jenni claire garverick > <jennigarverick@ > wrote: > > > > i can't tell you how many times I've heard that we're 'depriving' > our three children. I know I've mentioned before here, but my response > (fake smile and being very nice about it all) is always, " I, know, I > know. We'e depriving her of all that obesity, high cholesterol, > cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis. It's terrible... " And I > usually add a little head shake in there, like 'what am I thinking??? > ' I have YET to have anyone EVER mention deprivation or even > vegetarianism ever again after that response. Now, it may be because > they think I'm totally off the deep end, but they probably already > thought that, so who cares??? But I feel good because I didn't get > defensive or angry and I remained friendly the whole time. No one > would ever think to question someone's religion in the way that they > question veg.- it's all totally out of line, as far as I'm concerned- > unless it comes from a place of curiousity. > > My oldest child is at the age (5) where I'm willing to let her start > making meat-type dietary decisions on her own. She has yet to decide > to eat meat (thank goodness!), but I think you'll be better off for > playing it low key like you're doing right now. That is much better > than it being a big power struggle now, or God forbid, in 3 or 4 > years. And you certainly don't want extended family 'sneaking' her > meat behind your back with an 'it's our little secret, ha ha' kind of > attitude. Sure, it seems a little hypocritical, but IMO it's in the > best interest of all involved- and she is certainly at the age where > she is starting to 'separate' from the identities of the parents and > forge her own identity. Just keep talking to her about it- how you > feel about it, how it goes against your beliefs, the reasons for it. > With any luck, she'll come around. If not, well, every parent on the > face of the planet has to deal with this issue at some point- your kid > not living > > their life exactly as you'd like them to. > > One other thing (gee I'm feeling philosphical today!) - I would > discourage her from wearing the badge of 'I am a vegetarian' unless > she is qualified to do so- especially if she LIKES telling people > she's a veg. It's not a good idea in life to tell people you are one > thing, while your actions say something else. And this applies to all > kinds of circumstances. > > Best of luck to you, and let us all know how it pans out! > > jenni > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 16, 2008 Report Share Posted November 16, 2008 The worst is the baby bottle with cola and a side of french fries. --- On Fri, 11/14/08, Lebasi <lebasi.klotko wrote: Lebasi <lebasi.klotko Re: Re: Pre-teen attitude? Friday, November 14, 2008, 3:33 PM This country believes doritos and soda is a snack. Goldfish is the end of all of toddler foods. It makes me crazy thinking about the American diet and how we kill our children. The FDA needs to be replaced with an agency that understands foods come from plants and trees not factories. ____________ _________ _________ __ kimguest1 <kimguest1 > @gro ups.com Thursday, November 13, 2008 2:41:57 PM Re: Pre-teen attitude? Hi, I'm new to this group, and I just want to let everyone know how much I enjoyed this topic. My daughters are only 2.5 and 8 months old, so no attitude yet, but I'm really glad to have other vegetarian parents takes on it, and possible solutions. I will probably be me someday. I havent gotten much of people asking my why I do such a horrible thing, (raising my girls vegetarian that is), but more of a " what do you eat??? " sometimes followed by a head to toe assesment of us all to make sure we're alive.... Sometimes I'll give a list of things (tofu, lentils, beans, vegetables fruit and so on) and other times I'll just kind of feel sorry for the person asking, for really not knowing what to eat other than meat. Thanks, Kim @gro ups.com, " sazra73 " <sazra73 > wrote: > > Jenni, I like your answer to the deprivation argument! I'm always > tempted to tell people, in a horrified, shocked voice, " How can you > possibly deprive those children of eating hummus! " > The sneaking meat behind the back thing... that is a big one and hard > to deal with. My stepdaughter spent a lot of time with her > grandparents while her mother (also a vegetarian) was ill, and there > were no meat or dietary restrictions, so I feel like I have to respect > their relationship with her (which is deeper and longer than mine). I > will not put up with the grandfather pushing sausage onto my son, > however. > I did have a talk with her this evening, and reiterated that she can't > go around saying she's a vegetarian if she doesn't really mean it or > follow through on it. She send the same grandparents ecards from PETA > because she thinks it's funny. I put a stop to that and told her it > was disrepectful, especially since she likes eating her grandmother' s > meatloaf. > I just keep telling her why we don't (and won't ever) eat meat in this > house, and that someday she will make her own decisions and that I > hope she will look at all the information in front of her to guide her > choices. It's so hard when kids make fun of her for eating sprouts - > and she likes eating them! You couldn't pay me to be a kid of that > age again. It's tough stuff. > > Sara > @gro ups.com, jenni claire garverick > <jennigarverick@ > wrote: > > > > i can't tell you how many times I've heard that we're 'depriving' > our three children. I know I've mentioned before here, but my response > (fake smile and being very nice about it all) is always, " I, know, I > know. We'e depriving her of all that obesity, high cholesterol, > cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis. It's terrible... " And I > usually add a little head shake in there, like 'what am I thinking??? > ' I have YET to have anyone EVER mention deprivation or even > vegetarianism ever again after that response. Now, it may be because > they think I'm totally off the deep end, but they probably already > thought that, so who cares??? But I feel good because I didn't get > defensive or angry and I remained friendly the whole time. No one > would ever think to question someone's religion in the way that they > question veg.- it's all totally out of line, as far as I'm concerned- > unless it comes from a place of curiousity. > > My oldest child is at the age (5) where I'm willing to let her start > making meat-type dietary decisions on her own. She has yet to decide > to eat meat (thank goodness!), but I think you'll be better off for > playing it low key like you're doing right now. That is much better > than it being a big power struggle now, or God forbid, in 3 or 4 > years. And you certainly don't want extended family 'sneaking' her > meat behind your back with an 'it's our little secret, ha ha' kind of > attitude. Sure, it seems a little hypocritical, but IMO it's in the > best interest of all involved- and she is certainly at the age where > she is starting to 'separate' from the identities of the parents and > forge her own identity. Just keep talking to her about it- how you > feel about it, how it goes against your beliefs, the reasons for it. > With any luck, she'll come around. If not, well, every parent on the > face of the planet has to deal with this issue at some point- your kid > not living > > their life exactly as you'd like them to. > > One other thing (gee I'm feeling philosphical today!) - I would > discourage her from wearing the badge of 'I am a vegetarian' unless > she is qualified to do so- especially if she LIKES telling people > she's a veg. It's not a good idea in life to tell people you are one > thing, while your actions say something else. And this applies to all > kinds of circumstances. > > Best of luck to you, and let us all know how it pans out! > > jenni > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Gayle, I really like the way you put this. It's exactly the way I feel. I am going to keep your message in my inbox to remind myself of this when I get criticized again by my inlaws (and others). What I don't understand is.... when did diet become an area for children to debate with their parents? I understand preferring one food to another; say, carrots to peas. And I do remember loving Spaghettios and scrambled eggs when I was young. But when I was a kid, I was not dictating to my mother what she would cook for us. I was hungry, so I ate what she put on the table. I knew my father worked hard to earn money so that we could buy food at the grocery store, and I would never have dreamed of stamping my foot and demanding pizza or macaroni and cheese every night. I see so many children in my neighborhood and extended family who do just this. When did this happen?? As an update... my stepdaughter is really struggling with the whole " being different " feeling because of her diet. She chose her own snack food to take to school (since her lunch period is so late, her teacher allows a late morning snack). She loves wild rice sticks that we buy in bulk at our CoOp. And apparently every day kids make fun of her. She really likes this food but doesn't want to eat it anymore. Same with the fruit leather (in strips) - so we are buying the one that comes in roll-up form even though she likes the taste of them both. I keep thinking that eventually they'll let up and get tired of the same topic, but it doesn't seem to be happening. We try so hard to pack her food that either she specifically requests (like leftover chili) or that " looks normal " like PB & J or a Tofurkey sandwich. I am kind of at my wit's end as to how to support her emotionally. She is not the kind of child that will ever go down the " I-am-an-individual " route; she's much more of a follower. I don't make a big deal out of it when she eats pepperoni when she's with her friends, but there is no way I am buying a pizza with pepperoni when her friends come here. I agree with Gayle - we don't do that here, because we don't believe in it. In a way, that is the way I express my spirituality. Just as when people give something up for Lent; they are doing so from a moral conviction..... Sara , " Gayle " <dilemma5 wrote: >Why is it okay to " force " an omnivorous diet on a child and and not a vegan or vegetarian one? It is what we are in my family - vegan. Why would I have my children eat an omnivorous diet when the rest of our family doesn't and doesn't believe in the " mechanics " of producing animals for food? That would just be silly to teach something that I don't believe in or value. No one ever questions the other beliefs we teach our children such as religion - it is considered a personal preference and we respect the right of every parent to teach their child as they believe. Why should our belief in the type of diet we raise them eating be questioned? I really fail to see why one is okay and one is not? Why is one diet considered " forced " and the other not? I no more force my children to consume a vegan diet than my neighbors " force " their children to eat an omnivorous diet. It is a value and belief that we teach our children - in both instances. When they are old enough, as with all of the beliefs and values we teach our children, they are free to choose. Some may remain vegan or vegetarian, some may not. Some may remain Christian or Buddhist, some may not. I fail to see the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2008 Report Share Posted November 21, 2008 HI Sara, I have a list of lunches that I put together a couple of years ago (with suggestions from this group and others. Please contact me and I will send it to you offlist. Robin --- On Thu, 11/20/08, sazra73 <sazra73 wrote: sazra73 <sazra73 Re: Pre-teen attitude? Thursday, November 20, 2008, 3:49 PM Gayle, I really like the way you put this. It's exactly the way I feel. I am going to keep your message in my inbox to remind myself of this when I get criticized again by my inlaws (and others). What I don't understand is.... when did diet become an area for children to debate with their parents? I understand preferring one food to another; say, carrots to peas. And I do remember loving Spaghettios and scrambled eggs when I was young. But when I was a kid, I was not dictating to my mother what she would cook for us. I was hungry, so I ate what she put on the table. I knew my father worked hard to earn money so that we could buy food at the grocery store, and I would never have dreamed of stamping my foot and demanding pizza or macaroni and cheese every night. I see so many children in my neighborhood and extended family who do just this. When did this happen?? As an update... my stepdaughter is really struggling with the whole " being different " feeling because of her diet. She chose her own snack food to take to school (since her lunch period is so late, her teacher allows a late morning snack). She loves wild rice sticks that we buy in bulk at our CoOp. And apparently every day kids make fun of her. She really likes this food but doesn't want to eat it anymore. Same with the fruit leather (in strips) - so we are buying the one that comes in roll-up form even though she likes the taste of them both. I keep thinking that eventually they'll let up and get tired of the same topic, but it doesn't seem to be happening. We try so hard to pack her food that either she specifically requests (like leftover chili) or that " looks normal " like PB & J or a Tofurkey sandwich. I am kind of at my wit's end as to how to support her emotionally. She is not the kind of child that will ever go down the " I-am-an-individual " route; she's much more of a follower. I don't make a big deal out of it when she eats pepperoni when she's with her friends, but there is no way I am buying a pizza with pepperoni when her friends come here. I agree with Gayle - we don't do that here, because we don't believe in it. In a way, that is the way I express my spirituality. Just as when people give something up for Lent; they are doing so from a moral conviction.. ... Sara @gro ups.com, " Gayle " <dilemma5@.. .> wrote: >Why is it okay to " force " an omnivorous diet on a child and and not a vegan or vegetarian one? It is what we are in my family - vegan. Why would I have my children eat an omnivorous diet when the rest of our family doesn't and doesn't believe in the " mechanics " of producing animals for food? That would just be silly to teach something that I don't believe in or value. No one ever questions the other beliefs we teach our children such as religion - it is considered a personal preference and we respect the right of every parent to teach their child as they believe. Why should our belief in the type of diet we raise them eating be questioned? I really fail to see why one is okay and one is not? Why is one diet considered " forced " and the other not? I no more force my children to consume a vegan diet than my neighbors " force " their children to eat an omnivorous diet. It is a value and belief that we teach our children - in both instances. When they are old enough, as with all of the beliefs and values we teach our children, they are free to choose. Some may remain vegan or vegetarian, some may not. Some may remain Christian or Buddhist, some may not. I fail to see the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2008 Report Share Posted November 21, 2008 I think the difference lies in age, individuality and responsibility. I would certainly treat a 15-yo differently than a 4-yo. A teenager is closer to becoming an independent adult who MUST make his or her own decisions. , " Paige " <gosstucker wrote: > > Gayle, > > I understand where you are coming from, but I do personally believe > tolerance is the most important value we can teach our children. So many > individuals hate, resent, are cruel to others, etc. because they see only > their world view and no one else's. I am doing my best to instill the > values I believe in within my child, but there is a point where I have to > let go and trust him to make his own decisions, including mistakes. My > parents gave me the freedom to be vegan at the young age of 15. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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