Don't want DC to be a Vegetarian

[2became3]

OH is a veggie, I have been for 3 months.

I don't won't DC to be a veggie when they're old enough to eat foods.

I think they should be free to explore a range of textures and not have limited on baby lead weaning.

I haven't yet discussed this with OH, not given it much thought until now. I know he'll be against it as he often says "Aww, my veggie family"

AIBU?

P.s, I'm aware I'm being a little out of line here posting without actually talking to OH first, but I know what he's like. I've said it in fleeting before and he laughed about it like I was joking a funny joke

I don't understand your point Mindtrope, I don't see why that makes it sad.

oblada that's your choice to impose your beliefs about a wide range of experiences on your children. Other parents do exactly the same with their children. It always irks me that being a vegetarian family is judged as some different kind of imposition over and above what other families do.

Mindtrope - your position that humans must eat meat because they cant digest cellulose is very narrow minded, where is the evidence? We have evolved 'higher brain functions' which invalidate that argument.

There are a lot of mammals that have evolved massive canines and the ability to digest cellulose, so your connection is incidental.

Evolution leaves us with lots of redundant processes/organs/bones etc so its not as simple as, we have this vestigial feature therefore we are categorised as this.

it's sad because eating meat is a normal human activity

Where is your evidence for this? It might seem self evident but it would depend on what period of history you were talking about and what country. eg India.

mindtrope There's nothing sad about it at all. I didn't specifically raise her to think it is odd, she's come to that conclusion herself as the idea of eating animals is odd to her.

There are lots of things humans do that are widely considered to be 'normal', it doesn't mean we all have to do them. My point is that I don't think, in this day and age, that eating meat should be seen as the default setting.

OP I dont thimk you should be veggie just to keep your DH happy. I may have read your posts wrong but it sounds like that's your reason for being veggie. I also think is a bit off if not slightly comtrolling for him to assume your DC will be raised as a veggie without discussion about what your feelings are.

And Isay this as someone who has been veggie for years

Just give them a veggie diet. Who cares? It's still healthy and your partner will be happy. Being veg means you think it's morally wrong to eat meat. You don't think it's morally wrong to NOT eat meat. Why not go with the stronger belief? Veggie diets are only restrictive if you're unimaginative.

Supper mummy - it's interesting to note that even in India vegetarianism is still today adopted by a minority (about 30 to 40 percent).

Speak no words - fine I impose my belief in getting my children in touch with a wide variety of experiences. I'm happy with that.

I don't think vegetarian families imposing vegetarianism on their kids are seen as more 'imposing' than others. I have no issues with families who do that. Most of my husband's family do that due to religious beliefs.
I prefer to try not to restrict my children's experiences based on my own personal beliefs above and beyond the absolute moral/essential core. To me that's the key. It is true that to a degree we all impose our views on our children the question is how much of our views do we choose to impose?

As for the OP it should be of course a two way discussion. Nobody should have precedence on this. The argument saying we can't 'uneat meat' is not more valid (altho I admit I still don't quite see the problem or need to 'uneat' anything. I ate meat as a kid I don't have an issue with that) than the argument of giving them a true choice later in life by letting them experience meat freely early on.

I don't know if anyone else knows the science about this, but I have a couple of friends who were raised very strictly as veggies who now can't digest meat - it just makes them sick. This includes meals they don't know have meat in them so it doesn't seem psychosomatic. I don't know if going for a strict veggie diet from birth is actually removing choices?

Psychosomatic.

Just give them a veggie diet. Who cares? It's still healthy and your partner will be happy

She cares. And a vegetarian diet made by someone who doesn't want to be cooking all vegetarian won't be very healthy at all.
But as long as he's happy, thats all that matters.

Doesn't it depend to some extent on why you are a vegetarian? If it is for environmental reasons, then surely "a little bit vegetarian" is a completely reasonable thing to be: every time you avoided eating meat would be that little bit better for the environment. Otoh if it is for religious or cruelty reasons, then you can see why even one bite of meat would be seen as wrong.

There is one other aspect which I think should be taken into consideration and that is that on the whole preparing and cooking a balanced vegetarian diet takes longer- so the person who actually does the work should at least be consulted.

I have consumed meat as a child but not for many years now. I suspect that meat (processes stuff anyway though other meat too if the animal had an illness) will turn out to be very, very bad for you; so I do not particularly want my dcs to have the "experience" of meat eating if it risks their health in later life.