to think I shouldn't be discussing my 14 yr old daughters fertility and veganism at parents evening?

[Meechimoo]

Parents evening went well.
dd doing very well etc etc.
We saw about 6 subject teachers. Couldn't get an appointment for one, but she found a spot when we were there and she saw us.
My 14 year old decided to go go vegan about 6 weeks ago. She was vegetarian prior to this. I was very sceptical, worried. I started a thread on here and it was a revelation, full of useful information about veganism and how she wouldn't wither away as a result of malnutrition. And I figured that at 14, almost 15, I couldn't force her to eat dairy. If anything, she now eats a far far better diet than she did before. She cooks regularly now too and has huge bowls of vegetables, beans, pulses, vegan pasta etc and eats a wise variety of food. Far bigger variety than when she was carnivorous! I've bought her supplements too, so I'm not worrying about her lacking anything.
Anyway, after about 3 seconds discussion about her subject, the teacher said that she'd been discussing my daughters veganism and had told her she didn't approve. Another teacher sat next to her sidled over and joined in. She said she didn't approve of the vegan diet either. For information, My daughter is an average size 8, curvy but slim and her skin has cleared up almost overnight since she went vegan. So she doesn't look unhealthy at all. The opposite, in fact.
Then, the teacher who joined in the conversation, said she'd had a discussion with my daughter about veganism on a recent school trip and that she was concerned as she also had a teenage daughter and vegan diets are very unhealthy for teenage girls and she could be affecting her fertility etc.
I felt a bit patronised.
I've done hours of research and figured she could be doing a lot worse than be vegan.
Her old diet was much worse. Pizzas and chocolate and crap. She eats more than 5 a day now!
Dd seems to think she just 'meant well' as does dh (who was always a bit anti veganism anyway!) but I feel as though it was unnecessary and inappropriate. Discussing her fertility at parents evening? With worried head tilt like they'd stumbled on her shooting up with heroin in the school toilets?

[fascicle]

Whilst it's fine for the teachers to raise concerns about a student's work or behaviour, your daughter's diet is absolutely none of their business. Would they make similar comments to a parent about an overweight child who eats meat? I doubt it. Their comments are born out of ignorance. I think an appropriate response would be say you're happy with the research you and your daughter have done and suggest they do the same if they have any concerns. Actually I might be tempted to send them some information so they are better educated on the subject.

Miggsie, you don't have to take a B12 supplement if you consume a sufficient quantity of foods fortified with B12.

[diddl]

But it is the way that they went about it.
Voicing disapproval and another earwigging and coming over to join in!

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

clanger party rings are not vegan. They contain gelatine.

Not any more!

[FunkyBoldRibena]

happyjusttobe party rings are not vegan. They contain gelatine.

Nope:

Make everyday a party with party rings
No artificial colours or flavours
No preservatives
These colourful, crunchy, iced ring biscuits are the perfect sweet treat for fun-loving little fingers!
Suitable for vegetarians

Information
Ingredients:

Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Thiamin, Niacin), Sugar, Palm Oil, Glucose Syrup, Salt, Raising Agents: Ammonium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Disodium Diphosphate, Partially Inverted Refiners Syrup, Colours: Spirulina Extract, Beta-Carotene, Apple Concentrate, Blackcurrant Concentrate, Carrot Concentrate, Radish Concentrate, Safflower Concentrate, Hydrolysed Wheat Gluten, Flavouring, Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin, Glycerine, Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid, May contain Nuts

[MammaTJ]

They are Ill informed and overstepping their authority. When you are in a position of power, Nurse, Teacher, SW it's vital you remember your qualification level and what you are actually qualified in.

^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^

I am a student nurse and that is one thing we are constantly being told.

We even have to pass a progression point that says 'The student practices within his or her own knowledge' or similar, can't remember the exact wording

I imagine other professionals are told the same.


That aside, you sound as though you researched well and take it seriously.

[User100]

I will preface this with I haven't read the whole threat but the original post and last few posts (p3). I agree with what seems to be the consensus; if they had said something like "I've noticed DDs concentration slipping recently, it seems to be since she's become vegan, so maybe you need to look at her diet" that would be fine but talking about fertility etc is odd. I'm a teacher and at parents evening last week had a conversation where I said "x is an issue and is likely to effect your progress and results, I'm not a doctor so can't comment one medical side but from an education perspective you need to be aware it is disruptive and need to deal with it if possible" and that is the approach I would have expected.

[Purplepoodle]

I guess is otld be concerned and probably the same attitude UNTIL I read your other thread. It really opened my eyes to veganism and if it's done right it's a great way to eat. Probably lots of teenagers become vegetarian and survive on pasta and veggie cheese (I did). It's great your daughter has took such a balanced approach.

[Wibblypiglikesbananas]

It's none of their business.

Over twenty years ago, two friends and I went veggie at the age of 12. Cue much eye rolling and comments from teachers at school about it being a phase.

We're all still veggie now, have successfully produced a brood of offspring between us and, most importantly, are healthy and happy. Ok, so we weren't vegan but it's perfectly possible to be healthy on a vegan diet. You should be proud of your daughter and the teachers need to keep their noses out.

[Meechimoo]

Hi, thanks all. Your replies mirror my thoughts. Can I just add that I have no concerns about an eating disorder. She eats loads and loads. She's cooking a lot more too and is always snacking on fruit, nuts etc. And she's found some Vegan treats in sainsburys like vegan chocolate, naked bars. I don't think a size 8 is tiny for a healthy 14 year old. She was a petite size 6 until a few months ago, so she's gained weight! We've got a fab veggie/vegan restaurant in our town, where she goes for vegan milkshakes, soups and casseroles. Healthier than Dominoes or McDonald's I'd say.
She's very bright, and has done lots of her own research to make sure she gets her nutrients. She's a total science nerd (in a good way) and I've no doubt she engaged her teachers in long, detailed discussions about nutrition and animal welfare. And I wouldn't be surprised if they think it.might be a discuss for anorexia nervosa. But it honestly isn't. She eats plenty and is very fit and curvy. Not bony. She's got a rounded bum, hips and a non flat belly like me!
I admit that I was totally uneducated about veganism before all this, so perhaps a friendly email to her teacher explaining the nutrition and science and health stuff would be best.

[FreedomHuntress]

This might be a good link for the 'teachers':
animalrights.about.com/od/animalsusedforfood/a/MilkHealth.htm
Bottom line, how can drinking the milk designed for the baby of another species be beneficial for humans? It's not! It's full of growth hormones and other dodgy things. Your daughter is very wise.

I've been vegan since I was 25, got pregnant first time of trying at the ripe old 'past it' age of 35. Anecdotal I know, but there you go.

[Nohootingchickenssleeping]

If it was for religious reasons they couldn't say a word. "Butt out" comes to mind.

[ClangerOnaComeDown]

happyJustToBe They changed their recipe a couple of months ago, you still need to read the ingredients as the old ones are still on the shelves.

[lljkk]

Which religion demands a Vegan diet? I know Jainism doesn't.

[FreedomHuntress]

lljkk, Christianity? "Thou shalt not kill." ?

Actually, pretty much all of them do that golden rule thing, don't they? Do unto others. As such, unless we would happily be artificially inseminated only to have that baby taken away at birth and killed so that our milk could be stolen, or give ourselves up as meat, or have our boy chicks killed at birth as a by-product of the egg industry, I think all religions' moral baseline is veganism. However, most religious followers pick and choose, so here we are - mass slaughter and suffering all over the world instead.

[HappyJustToBe]

This is amazing information. Thank you! (Sorry, OP)

[QueenTilly]

The only link I know of between veganism and fertility is that in America, dairy consumption has been linked to an increased rate of dizygotic (fraternal twins). Quite a few would say that's a point in favour of a vegan diet! www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-05/nsij-sft051606.php

Anecdotally, I can report that my fertility seems within normal ranges, and I managed a monozygotic twin pregnancy with blood results my consultant called "that's you not being anaemic".

[marnia68]

huge bowls of vegetables, beans, pulses

maybe because they are afraid of being downwind of her after she's been eating that lot! ;-)

[ouryve]

It's a shame you felt ambushed, but it sounds like a conversation that you needed to have. So long as she's not living on biscuits or fresh air, it's none of their business, really and I think a well worded letter or email explaining that you've done your research with her and have both learnt a lot, so kindly butt out, wouldn't go amiss.

[OfaFrenchMind]

FreedomHuntress I think all religions' moral baseline is veganism
Nope, because most of the Book Religions do not really care animals tbh, and do not give them the same personhood as human (no soul, no conscience). In full religious spirit, there is actually a clear separation between animals and human, with human as superior beings, so "thou shall not kill" does not apply at all to animals. Do not apply sensibilities and conviction to religions please :)
It is not credible at all.

[FreedomHuntress]

French, "Do not apply sensibilities and conviction to religions please" - we certainly agree there! :)
Like I said, they cherry pick. Most religions I am aware of advocate 'do unto others as you would have done unto you', and 'do not kill'. When read, they don't tend to have a note that says *only applies to your own species.

[RockinHippy]

YADNBU - & I would have said so in no uncertain terms, but then I hate this sort of ill educated presumptions bollocks surrounding vegetarian & veganism - never fails to amaze me how many people have an opinion on the subject, yet quite happily let their DCs &/ or stuff their own faces with processed crap

[OfaFrenchMind]

Because if you follow truly a religion, you would never consider that animals are on the same plane as you, it's the implicit rule.
Animals have no personhood and are not subject to the Commandments. There is no cherry picking because it is not relevant to their faith.

[Primaryteach87]

I can understand why it was annoying but bear in mind that they it was an expression of them caring for DD. I'd have a good rant and a moan to my family and then move on...

[maninawomansworld]

I would have told them it's none of their bloody business and that you had given up an evening of your valuable time to discuss your DD's school work, not to be lectured on something that was none of the schools business.

[hackmum]

Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Thiamin, Niacin), Sugar, Palm Oil, Glucose Syrup, Salt, Raising Agents: Ammonium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Disodium Diphosphate, Partially Inverted Refiners Syrup, Colours: Spirulina Extract, Beta-Carotene, Apple Concentrate, Blackcurrant Concentrate, Carrot Concentrate, Radish Concentrate, Safflower Concentrate, Hydrolysed Wheat Gluten, Flavouring, Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin, Glycerine, Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid, May contain Nuts

Who'd have thought party rings contained so many delicious ingredients?