Parents of vegetarian/vegan kids: Have they been positively/negatively affected?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand this all-or-nothing attitude about vegetarianism. Why can’t people eat less meat or almost none but not be so militant about it? Do they need the capital V Vegetarian label? Choose to not eat meat, don’t join a cult. If someone makes soup with chicken stock or someone puts jello in a dessert, eat it if you want to. If you try to live your life in such a moral black & white way, you will fail at every turn.

So bizarre you felt compelled to write this here. And that you cannot fathom that other people have different morals and beliefs that guide them.

Really? Seems like being less rigid would make OP’s problem go away. It would also attract millions more to vegetarian meals which will be necessary to save the planet.

My sister and her family are vegetarians and honestly feel a moral and spiritual obligation to never eat an animal. They feel strongly about it and sacrifice for their belief. I respect it. There is no middle ground for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not keep your house vegetarian/vegan, but let your kids be kids outside of the house. If they decide later on in life to be 100 percent vegetarian or vegan for their own reasons, isn't that better?

Agree with this.

+1 this is what we're doing with our kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not keep your house vegetarian/vegan, but let your kids be kids outside of the house. If they decide later on in life to be 100 percent vegetarian or vegan for their own reasons, isn't that better?

Agree with this.

+1 this is what we're doing with our kid.

Immediate PP here. Our overall approach was that kid would remain vegetarian until he was old enough to understand what meat is. But once he was old enough to understand that, if he chose to eat meat outside of the house that was fine with us. He hasn't yet, but he's early elementary and I fully expect at some point that he will at least try meat.

[Anonymous]

Do you have kids? I remember seeing a very similar post asking about dating as a vegan/vegetarian in the relationships forum.

I'm vegan but my 4yo DD isn't. I would cook meat/eggs at home, but she gets it at daycare 5 days a week so I don't worry about it. If she weren't getting meat elsewhere I'd cook it for her.

Back in college, I has a friend who was raised vegetarian and he resented it. He wanted to eat meat but his body never developed the ability to digest it since he never had it. I don't think it's fair to do that to a child.

I've also heard a ton of horror stories about children raised as vegan/vegetarian. It can be done, but it takes a ton of research and planning, which many parents don't do well. For me, it's not worth the risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not keep your house vegetarian/vegan, but let your kids be kids outside of the house. If they decide later on in life to be 100 percent vegetarian or vegan for their own reasons, isn't that better?

Kids will still be kids if they are vegetarian/vegan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have kids? I remember seeing a very similar post asking about dating as a vegan/vegetarian in the relationships forum.

I'm vegan but my 4yo DD isn't. I would cook meat/eggs at home, but she gets it at daycare 5 days a week so I don't worry about it. If she weren't getting meat elsewhere I'd cook it for her.

Back in college, I has a friend who was raised vegetarian and he resented it. He wanted to eat meat but his body never developed the ability to digest it since he never had it. I don't think it's fair to do that to a child.

I've also heard a ton of horror stories about children raised as vegan/vegetarian. It can be done, but it takes a ton of research and planning, which many parents don't do well. For me, it's not worth the risk.

Ummm....not really a thing! There are plenty of people that grew up being vegetarian who start eating meat in adulthood. It's like anything else, new flavors, textures, spice levels - takes time for the body to adjust. Raising kids does take a lot of effort, some research, and planning. The risk might not be worth to you, but think about who ends up paying the price.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand this all-or-nothing attitude about vegetarianism. Why can’t people eat less meat or almost none but not be so militant about it? Do they need the capital V Vegetarian label? Choose to not eat meat, don’t join a cult. If someone makes soup with chicken stock or someone puts jello in a dessert, eat it if you want to. If you try to live your life in such a moral black & white way, you will fail at every turn.

I am a life long vegetarian. I am raising my kid the same way because, like any other parenting decision, you want your kid to choose the healthier/ better choice.

I welcome your choice to limit your meat intake and not become a vegetarian, but how does my kinder choice make me 'militant'? The ones eating meat are responsible for terrorizing and slaughter of millions of animals. So maybe you should be asking yourself - why be so militant about food? When there are so many other options available in this day and age. I haven't tried to convert anyone to vegetarianism in my life, everyone gets to choose what they want, but since you asked - your food choice is taking away a life for every single meal you consume. So get off your high horse!

What is this moral black and white you are talking about?? Is little bit of racism ok, how about a tiny amount of sexism? Or, you think its ok to just assault someone as long as you are not raping or killing them?? coz black & white way yo!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand this all-or-nothing attitude about vegetarianism. Why can’t people eat less meat or almost none but not be so militant about it? Do they need the capital V Vegetarian label? Choose to not eat meat, don’t join a cult. If someone makes soup with chicken stock or someone puts jello in a dessert, eat it if you want to. If you try to live your life in such a moral black & white way, you will fail at every turn.

I am a life long vegetarian. I am raising my kid the same way because, like any other parenting decision, you want your kid to choose the healthier/ better choice.

I welcome your choice to limit your meat intake and not become a vegetarian, but how does my kinder choice make me 'militant'? The ones eating meat are responsible for terrorizing and slaughter of millions of animals. So maybe you should be asking yourself - why be so militant about food? When there are so many other options available in this day and age. I haven't tried to convert anyone to vegetarianism in my life, everyone gets to choose what they want, but since you asked - your food choice is taking away a life for every single meal you consume. So get off your high horse!

What is this moral black and white you are talking about?? Is little bit of racism ok, how about a tiny amount of sexism? Or, you think its ok to just assault someone as long as you are not raping or killing them?? coz black & white way yo!

Wow. Firstly, humans evolved to eat meat. Secondly, tons of field mice are killed when vegetables are harvested. In your world view, are their lives less meaningful than a pig or a cow?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a lifelong vegetarian. My son was veg until 5 when someone offered him pepperoni pizza. He hasn't looked back since and its been 5 years. He knows what meat is, because we've always been very matter of fact about it. He made a choice and its ok.

My advice is to ok w/whatever your kid chooses to do regarding meat / dairy.

Similar thing happened to us but I told my son he was eating Peppa pig's family That put a quick stop to the pepperoni pizza eating. I don't think little kids really understand what meat is and where it comes from unless you grow up in a farm or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand this all-or-nothing attitude about vegetarianism. Why can’t people eat less meat or almost none but not be so militant about it? Do they need the capital V Vegetarian label? Choose to not eat meat, don’t join a cult. If someone makes soup with chicken stock or someone puts jello in a dessert, eat it if you want to. If you try to live your life in such a moral black & white way, you will fail at every turn.

I am a life long vegetarian. I am raising my kid the same way because, like any other parenting decision, you want your kid to choose the healthier/ better choice.

I welcome your choice to limit your meat intake and not become a vegetarian, but how does my kinder choice make me 'militant'? The ones eating meat are responsible for terrorizing and slaughter of millions of animals. So maybe you should be asking yourself - why be so militant about food? When there are so many other options available in this day and age. I haven't tried to convert anyone to vegetarianism in my life, everyone gets to choose what they want, but since you asked - your food choice is taking away a life for every single meal you consume. So get off your high horse!

What is this moral black and white you are talking about?? Is little bit of racism ok, how about a tiny amount of sexism? Or, you think its ok to just assault someone as long as you are not raping or killing them?? coz black & white way yo!

Wow. Firstly, humans evolved to eat meat. Secondly, tons of field mice are killed when vegetables are harvested. In your world view, are their lives less meaningful than a pig or a cow?

Lol! The same old excuses! We also used to live in huts and jungles and cook using fire pits and guess what else - no internet, or suburban housing or branded clothes or modern medicine either When are you planning on going back to that? Huh?

It’s time to evolve and be kind to Earth and our fellow beings. I am not asking you to change anything about your lifestyle, go ahead and continue to carry on the cycle. But you don’t have any logical legs to justify it. Atleast be aware of the environmental and humane cost of it before you come and argue about it. As for the field mice - I’d repeat, please go ahead and educate yourself and compare the impact of factory farmed animals vs crops.

That’ll be the real ‘wow’ moment. And please, you can keep your fake ‘sadly’ for the mice to yourself. As if you really care!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am considering a vegetarian/vegan diet.

My coworker grew up vegetarian and she told me that she sometimes felt left out because she couldn't have some foods at friends' houses, had limited options at restaurants or college dining hall, etc. Did your kids have experiences that were positive, negative, or both?

Thanks.

I think you can’t give an experience of everything to your child. They grow up in city and miss out the openness of less urban parts. Grow up in suburbs and you’d miss out on the diversity and Other experiences of city life.

I’d say evaluate why you want to be a vegan/ vegetarian and think if those reasons apply to your kids as well or not. If you think they’d miss out on something’s then consider can those things be found somewhere else and what is it that they are going to gain. It’s not hard at all these days to find nutritious and delicious plant based food. People don’t eat many things because of preferences or allergies etc. Everyone doesn’t have to have the exact same life experiences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am considering a vegetarian/vegan diet.

My coworker grew up vegetarian and she told me that she sometimes felt left out because she couldn't have some foods at friends' houses, had limited options at restaurants or college dining hall, etc. Did your kids have experiences that were positive, negative, or both?

Thanks.

np I think it is unfair for you not to provide meat for your kids unless they are the ones who want to become vegetarians. Why not provide a variety of foods and let them decide?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not keep your house vegetarian/vegan, but let your kids be kids outside of the house. If they decide later on in life to be 100 percent vegetarian or vegan for their own reasons, isn't that better?

Agree with this.

This is what we do.

[Anonymous]

I’m a vegetarian Hindu. My kids are non vegetarian (mixed marriage), and now I cook chicken for them, and even I occasionally may eat chicken and fish (do no longer a strict vegetarian). It was easier for me growing up because my mom made delicious, healthy Indian meals. In college I ate a ton of carbs. My brother became quite overweight because many vegetarians overeat since the food is less filling. This was really tragic for him in high school and college. I’d say for him being a vegetarian growing up was a negative. He now eats meat and fish but no red meat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am considering a vegetarian/vegan diet.

My coworker grew up vegetarian and she told me that she sometimes felt left out because she couldn't have some foods at friends' houses, had limited options at restaurants or college dining hall, etc. Did your kids have experiences that were positive, negative, or both?

Thanks.

np I think it is unfair for you not to provide meat for your kids unless they are the ones who want to become vegetarians. Why not provide a variety of foods and let them decide?

By the same logic, is it unfair to provide meat unless they are the ones that want to be omnivorous?