to think that if you tell someone that your child is vegetarian...

[Tollund]

that they should respect this and not then try to feed them meat?!

At a birthday party with DS1 who is four and a parent there offered my DS a sausage. DS took one (as he didn't know is it was veggie or not) and I politely said to the man "thank you, but he's vegetarian."

He said "yes, I know, they told me that. But I thought I'd see if he wanted one, and he took one, so let him have it."

I ignored him and told DS not to eat it.

THe man then started on at me about how I should let him make his own choices and to let him eat it which I refused to be drawn into, politely telling him no and then walking away.

He then went up to the mother of the child whose party it was (about 10 feet away from me) and starts banging on about me not letting him eat meat!

I think this man was monumentally ignorant - why does he think he is in a position to make food choices for my four year old child? What if DS was Jewish? Or had allergies? I'm now loathe to let my DS anywhere near this man's child or to go to parties where this man might be - IABU? (I don't think I'm BU in terms of making dietary decisions for my son at this time in his life, but whether am BU in wanting to keep my DS very far away from that tool!)

"I have no problem with anyone being vegetarian, and I admire their principles. However a four year old is not capable of understanding or knowing those principles "

I would disagree, my now 7 year old son, decided when he was 3 year old that he did not want to eat 'dead animals'. Not my principles, his own.

we die from earache caused by people maligning our dietary choices

The China Study is one mans view, and not nessecarily a well informed one. It has as many doubter as supporters.

Thanks, Eyebrows. Have been nodding along to your comments too. (Wishes MN had a 'like' button.)

I am vegetarian but not until 1993 so could in theory develop CJD. These things have long lasting affects which is why you can't let kids eat what they want no matter how bad it is for them, until they are old enough to make up their own minds. We have to help them start their lives right and healthy.

Eyebrows, a) well said, and b) I went vegetarian in 1993 too! :)

Whether it's U to bring up children as veggie isn't the issue here, IMO. The issue is this man being bolshy (not just to you but to the party host! WTF?!) about something that you obviously wanted to make clear and then drop. Rude and aggressive behaviour, whatever the subject under discussion.

No question that the man was being rude by going on in such a way. However you say that your son took one because "he didn't know whether it was veggie or not". In other words, he didn't care, so hasn't he already made his own choice? (Like his Dad)

Becasue a 4yo understands all the ins and outs of the subject! Don't be ridiculous.

:o Unclefest

BTW, some Haribo are vegetarian.

They taste disgusting though. :(

sausagesandmarmelade If veggies are immune from cancers, strokes, heart disease....then what do they die from? or do they live forever?

Oh my God! You are being utterly ridiculous! Do you not understand INCREASED RISK?!

UANBU
My DSIL is a strict veterinarian as are her DCs, I wouldn't think of offering her DCs meat. Nor would I offer beef to the Dcs of the friend who has been avoiding it post BSE.
Should these children knowingly choose to ignore their family norms when they are 9 or 10, that is a different matter. I won't encourage them in anyway and would remind them that they weren't allowed to eat that, but I doubt I'd tell their Mums'.
Similarly I make no secret to DD2s bright Y5 friend that I don't share her families Christian beliefs, but I wouldn't say anything in front of her younger sister.
I believe very much that as parents it is our duty to teach our children the moral codes we live by and for others to supporters in that right, BUT we also have a duty to accept that our children have the right to make their own decisions as their understanding of the world increases.

yes, they are not 'right' somehow, vegetarian Haribo. Veggie gelatine is squishy. But I do keep trying them

Didn't say we are immune from all those diseases, s&m, just that we are reducing our chances of getting them.

squeak, more than one man's view. But why not read it, and see if it makes sense to you?

Message deleted while poster eats a sausage sandwich.

Percy pigs are vegetarian!

I don't think there's any evidence that CJD can be transmitted via milk, there's never been a recorded case of that happening, and it seems fairly unlikely to me that such proteins would find their way into an animal's milk.

There are some rare cases where the origin is unknown and the disease seems to just arise sporadically, I don't think there's anything you can do to protect yourself from that unfortunately.

NoHunIntended Oh yaaaayyyy! We should start a club! The "We went veggie in 1993 brigade"

Not knowing that something isn't veggie isn't the same as not caring.

A few months ago a supermarket deli sold us chicken samosas by mistake. DD2 didn't know this but she did care when she bit into it and found pieces of dead bird.

She did immediately throw up too.

really - are percy pigs REALLY REALLY vegetarian

uncle, you need to try Goody Good Stuff vegetarian and vegan sweets! They are YUM!

:) @ WGME!

EricNorthmansMistressOfPotions Are they?! Shit, could of done with knowing that a couple of months ago when I through my dcs a party which was veggie food only.

thank you NHI. I shall investigate further

Yes they really really are! Sainsburys do some penny style sweets and some are veggie too!

"My DSIL is a strict veterinarian"

Does she make the animals go on the thinking step if they're naughty?

I can't join the "veggie in '93 cluc", I went veggie in 1991!

Percy Pigs contain pork gelatine,certainly the last time I looked,and according to the M&s website.

'ray for that!!