I’m vegetarian for ethical reasons, and have been for a long time. I don’t talk about it a lot unless asked directly, but it’s a part of my life I feel very passionate about. When Alec and I were pregnant with Cheese, the topic came up, because we had to decide how to raise our daughter, in our mixed-food family. Our home is vegetarian because I do all the cooking, but Alec eats some types of meat when he’s out.
We made the decision to raise Cheese as a vegetarian. The idea was that I would teach her how to eat a balanced diet without meat as part of the equation, so she would be able to make her own decision later in life with a good knowledge of all her dietary options.
At home, it’s been easy. When we go out, sometimes a bit more challenging. There would be times where Alec would order meat at a restaurant and she want to try whatever he was eating, and also occasions when we’d visit friends who;d serve the kids things like fish fingers, and she’d want to try what the other kids were having. Learning how to handle these situations with a baby and young toddler were not the easiest.
Generally, I’d let her try most things. She had a bite of a fish finger and spat it out. She might have eaten a tiny piece of chicken stuffed into pasta once. If avoidable without a meltdown though, I’ve distracted her with something else to avoid the meat situation.
Up until today, I’ve felt a bit strange about it all – basically enforcing my values on another person who doesn’t understand why. I’ve doubted my hard stance on and off, because she’s been so little and it didn’t seem fair to deny her things that other people eat, just because I believed it to be wrong.
We had a moment tonight, however, that changed my mind and made me glad that I persisted with this path for us. We were reading a book before bed: Meg And Mog In The Fog, where Meg and Mog get stuck on an island, and Mog catches and eats a fish. We get to this spot in the story and Cheese interrupts with “Why?” Why did they eat the fish?”.
Cheese hadn’t been aware until now that people ate fish. She thought fish were just spending their lives swimming in the ocean. I explained to her, “Some people eat fish when they’re hungry. Mog was hungry, so he ate the fish.”. “But why?” She asked again. I tried to go with a broader answer that encompassed the larger issue. “Some people eat animals like fish as part of their food every day. We don’t eat animals though, because we’re vegetarian. That means we don’t eat animals.”
This explanation made sense to my animal-loving kid. “That’s right,” she said. “We don’t eat animals, we just eat FOOD”. Super cute way to describe it. And suddenly, everything about the lifestyle I chose for us felt right.
I’m really not surprised that she feels this way now that she is starting to be able to understand what it all means, because she is a really empathetic kid. She absolutely adores animals like I do. I mean, she LOVES animals, all animals, so it makes sense that thinking of eating one is repulsive to her.
I find the age Cheese is at to be absolutely wonderful in so many ways. The best thing is her new ability to understand and reason – I love talking with her about why things are the way they are, and helping her learn about the world. Shaping this little person’s life is a hugely scary responsibility that I do not take lightly.
Great post- I was brought up as a vegetarian since birth and intend on doing so with my future children eventually, even though my partner is a meat eater. As long as you give them a choice when they’re old enough to make that decision, I feel 100% comfortable with it 🙂
Lizzy from Nomad Notebook
Thanks so much for dropping by Lizzy. I wasn’t raised vegetarian, it was a choice I came to on my own that my family are still confused about, so it’s really great to hear from someone who had a positive experience being raised as a vegetarian.
Such cute reasoning!
I used to be vegan and then just vegetarian. Now I am a meat eater – just beef and fish (long story, terrible birth of my first child and a blood transfusion).
My kids have always been free to eat whatever is in front of them as long as Dad cooks it!! I am very funny about meat to this day and still toy with the idea of vegetarianism again.
I will probably return to it when the kids are grown. X
Such a cute quote! I also liked the way Phoebe on Friends described it once – ‘no food with a face’.
Oh I love that! I might try using that, it’s easier to understand!
Ohh I loved reading this! I am vegan for ethical reasons and my partner is Omni. My daughter is vegetarian. She only eats eggs though, no dairy. She has Down Syndrome so explaining things is going to be difficult….
How old is your daughter? Is she old enough to be asking any questions?
She is turning 1 tomorrow so not really. 🙂
She is only 1 so no.. 🙂
I was reading Mog in the Fog to my Little Miss 3 the other night too & she was a bit perplexed about the fish! I think it was the 1st time she’d equated the fish she eats with an actual fish… who knew Meg & Mog books would open up such deep & meaningful conversations!!
Who knew, indeed!! I don’t particularly like the Meg and Mog books myself, but they’re a hit with Cheese and clearly opening up their minds to things like this!
Really enjoyed reading this as I’ve struggled to explain my own vegetarianism (is that a word??) to my three young daughters. I think my eldest (5) is beginning to make the connection between a real life chook, and chicken on her plate. I don’t want to scare them but I also want them to understand why I have chosen to go meat free for the past 15 years. Thanks for helpful tips here! ps Have just discovered you via the Reewind and I like what I see 🙂
Thank you Michaela. I’m right there with you with the teaching – not sure how to explain it as she gets older so as not to scare her, but it’s pretty horrific to understand what actually happens to the animals that end up on plates. Popping over to check out your blog right now 🙂
I’m a couple of years off having to explain this to my daughter, but I’m a vegetarian while my hubby isnt. My daughter will get to choose. I’ll have to bookmark your tips for explaining to my bub why I don’t eat meat but daddy does!
Thanks Lu, I hope this is helpful when it comes time to explain to you baby 🙂 I’m not sure how to broach the “why mummy doesn’t eat meat but daddy does” conversation yet either. If feels mean to say “because mummy loves animals and daddy doesn’t!”
I loved reading this. I appreciate your views & your stance & I can only imagine it’s been difficult at times. But as you say, Cheese (and what a delightful name) seems to be showing huge compassion with animals & making her own decisions, even at an early stage. Do what you feel is right for you, right now, and she can choose differently if she decides, later on. Thanks for sharing this. X
Thank you Katie so much for dropping by and reading my story 🙂