To not tell DD

[Flippetydip]

DD is 6, nearly 7. She's been vegetarian since August and has been absolutely adamant about it, brilliant with what she eats and shows no sign of relenting. I'm all for this and have also pretty much gone veggie. DH and DS have not, therefore there is meat stuff in the fridge.

Fridays are our night when we rush from a to b and back again without time to turn round. I WFH so try and fit that in amidst everything else. This is me preparing my excuse for being such a fuckwit. I did oven chips and what I thought were fish fingers for DD tonight before she went out to Beavers (this is not an AIBU about crap parenting and crap food, it's Friday, we're busy, they eat well the rest of the time!) All good, I had one, thought weird consistency but nothing more of it. Got them out to put in for DS later and realised they were chicken fingers. We have never had these in the freezer before, I can only assume DH bought them as part of a Co-op meal deal or some such thing.

AIBU not to tell DD? I don't think it will do either of us any good.

JillyJellybean Vegans eat cheese?

No, of course they don't. Only when under duress from in-laws and trying not to make a big fuss.
I picked the veggies from underneath the cheese.

Oh CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE.
I actually used to love cheese. The vegan alternatives are disappointing.

But still, not eating it makes me feel better than eating it.

There are lots of joys in life that don't involve cheese.
I just do more of them.

No don't tell. You got away with it, Just forget it ever happened.

My dd is a piscatarian.She is not worried by the dead flesh bit ,like a lot of young veggies it is for ecological reasons,the same kind of reasons for not eating palm oil,for checking fish is from sustainable sources etc.
Before anyone says she should see how animals are reared/killed etc we are very rural and aware of all this.

Don't say anything. And a vegetarian doesn't eat fish. What's the point of upsetting a six year old over this as presumably she ate meat and fish until recently. But you should explain about fish.

DD herself refers to herself as pesky

Well that's a turn up.

Can't bring myself to believe that of a 6 year old though. I think it's more like you've just discovered that vegetarians don't eat fish and you're trying to cover yourself because you feel a bit daft not realising that fish is meat.
No need to. Lots of adults think vegetarians eat fish. It's widespread.

However, it will make you feel a bit better about giving your dd chicken fingers because she would have been eating meat anyway.

Just explain to her and yourself that fish is meat, job done.
Then if she's prepared to forego the fishy fingers, she can be a fully fledged veggie. But only if she wants to. Nothing wrong with being a "pesky" It's just not being a veggie. Whatever.

Fucking hell people need to grow up with the fish comments. I was a "vegetarian" from 13-18 I ate fish the odd time Didn't realise it was called something different but hey ho...no need for smug comments it's embarrassing all the 😂😂 really?

I've been vegetarian for 35 years. My dd has been veggie for 20 years.
And my mum has been "vegetarian" but eating fish for 30 years. And?

I checked a few different dictionaries. It's very clear that "meat" can be used to mean anything from all food, to the flesh of any animal, to the flesh of mammal or fowl as distinct from seafood, to the flesh of mammal alone as distinguished from poultry (fowl) or fish.

In nutritional contexts I think it is most common to talk of meat and fish as two separate categories, but lump mammalian meat and poultry together under "meat". (Google e.g. NHS nutrition advice for sources of protein.)

Language is a slippery bugger. Words don't just have a single meaning. If enough people interpret something differently from you it's worth considering that it could be an alternative meaning not "I'm right they're all idiots".

And just to clarify veganism. Just three things and they are very simple
We don't eat meat. We don't eat eggs. We don't drink cow's milk.

It's not complicated or tricky. Just those three things.

It only takes a few seconds on google to find a yummy vegan recipe for a substantial tasty meal.

Bisto beef gravy is vegan. Who knew? You'd think beef gravy might have some beef in it? Well it doesn't.

And I didn't know, but now I know I pour it all over my veggie sausages and mash Cut down on the meat. It's good for the environment, and great for your cholesterol level.

JillyJellybean, just cow's milk? You still drink goat's milk, or sheep's milk then?

Incidentally, I didn't know that about Bisto. Nice to know! Did you also know that Bird's custard mix contains no animal either? And it works with rice milk (can't stand Soy so haven't tried that)

*disclaimer, I'm an omnivore myself, but I was experimenting for a friend...

Incidentally, I didn't know that about Bisto. Nice to know!

The original Bisto is but the chicken one contains milk, from memory.

It's surprising what is 'accidentally vegan', Oreos for example. Weirdly a lot of 'meat' flavoured crisps are vegan too yet salt and vinegar crisps sometimes contain milk. What's that all about

And my mum has been "vegetarian" but eating fish for 30 years

I don't quite know how to say this, but if she's been eating fish for 30 years then she hasn't been a vegetarian. Language might change, nuances might change, but for the past 30 years, in my experience, a vegetarian does not eat any meat, and that includes fish.

I've a feeling that you might have referred to a bible for your information. I could be wrong. But I don't think so.

I won't eat anything that has been living. Not seafood, not chickens, not oysters, not cows, not ducks, nor any kind of fish or prawn or tiny thing like a cockle. I don't want to eat any previously living things that are now dead because I wanted to eat them. And nor would I presume to say. . .

"I'm right they're all idiots" If they do want to eat those things.

The vast majority of my family and friends eat meat.
I don't think they are idiots. None of them are idiots .One of my dd's and myself are vegans.The other two and the rest of my family are not/ The rest of our family love pork belly.
And steak. And sausages. I don't judge them for that.

They just haven't caught the 'vegan' bug in the way that I have.
And that my dd has. She was the one who started it She taught me quite a lot about the mistreatment of animals. How much an animal had to suffer in order for me to have a bit of duck in plum sauce.

A bit of duck in plum sauce is lovely. But just take a look at how those ducks are factory farmed and churned out. It made me think that dipping my wrapped up duck meat in a pancake with some spring onions.

I have been a vegetarian since I was about 12. I always wanted to be one but parents would not allow it, when I was about 7 my mum said I could be a pescatarian. Over the course of a weekend I was given a veggie sausage roll (that I found out much later wasn't) and was convinced by the same person that fed me that that pepperoni was fish & I ate that too. When they told me about the truth about pepperoni I was really upset (also because they found it hilarious). I got over it though. I would say be careful about it in future but don't be too hard on yourself, if your daughter asks maybe tell her then but don't worry about it otherwise. Animal products can creep in without you noticing. If you had to give her a prescription medication that came in gelatin capsules would you tell her about those?

Before anyone says she should see how animals are reared/killed etc we are very rural and aware of all this

I'm a vegan and my my dh's family are bloody beef farmers.

That makes life tricky. No post dinner conversation whatever.

Just all about how many cows they killed.

Makes me feel a bit sick

You still drink goat's milk, or sheep's milk then

Of course not. There is soya milk, almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, loads of other nut milks. I mean, why should I relate them all to you when they are freely available in any Tesco or Sainsbury or Asda or Morrisons or Lidl or Aldi stores?

Maybe you haven't looked for them, specifically. But they are there.
You can choose to buy them or not. It's up to you.

If you purchase a litre of cashew milk, not a single nut has been harmed, If you buy a half pint of cow's milk then that calf and the mother has been very severely harmed. Traumatised. Calf dragged away from its mother and killed or sold for young meat
And then the mother is milked incessantly until she has no milk left.

Just so we can have the nicer tasting cow's milk in our tea?
So who cares?

Do you care?

I am veggie and so is my partner.

Been 5 years now and my DC are 8&5

5yo has never eaten meat and my 8yo has SED and has only ever eaten McDonald's nuggets (which you can't count as proper meat or proper food) so from 2.5yrs my 8yo haven't eaten meat.
My 8yo is very particular on what she eats (SED) but she will check if things are vegetarian. Sweats etc. She would be mortified if she accidentally ate 'Animals'

So in your position I wouldn't tell.
I would keep it as a mistake I wouldn't make again,
I think it would cause more upset dc knowing than not so would make that choice.

Btw as a previous poster said if she has fish she isn't vegetarian she is then pescatarian.

But...... you can get some really good faux fish fingers!

I think that for your daughter at such a young age to make such a decision about animals and her health and also you as a parent to support it is amazing!

Well done!

Wow just read some of the posts on here and it's mad how people who chose their Heath over food argue between themselves!!
Pescatarian/vegetarian/vegan: all are doing at least something to help the earth/their health/ protect animals so why does it matter?
The only people arguing about 'goats milk' 'cheese' ....etc are probably tucking into a KFC!

I am veggie and I'm certainly more vegan than vegetarian but to become fully vegan is a lot! --I love cheese

But I do fully intend on being vegan eventually. Little by little I'm doing it!

OP I think your child is amazing for making this decision! My daughter made it on her own too and I'm so proud! To have that amount of compassion for everything living at such a young age is commendable!!

Most grown adults don't have that compassion in their little finger!

I wouldn't tell her. It isn't a lie it is an omission. No need to upset her.

One of my children decided at 6 to be vegetarian and continued until he was 18 when met a girl who ate meat. I was surprised as he was so strict as a child. His sister decided at 5 and has continued and become vegan. She was disgusted that he ate meat. There is6 years between them. I didn't see them becoming vegetarians as a problem as we ate several veggie meals a week anyway. I just made two meals with the same veg.
Cheese: for the vegans. There is a guy in the north east that makes amazing vegan cheese. You can even get a cheese board selection for Christmas. I can't remember his name but my daughter has it written down I think. We went to vegan fest in Glasgow and tried all the cheeses and his was by far the best. I will come back and post if I find out.

My DD became vegetarian at 7. To begin with we had a few mishaps (mostly to do with sweet treats and gelatin) so I wouldn’t necessarily say anything to your DD in this instance. We keep a separate freezer shelf for my DD’s food so this makes things easier when prepping quick meals. Also, even the meat eaters in my family prefer veggie sausages over meat ones so these are a great go to for a quick meal. I would explain to her the difference between vegetarian and pescatarian though.

What a lot of pedants! I bet a 7 year old with such compassion will soon give up the fish too. Her consciousness is still expanding.

Irritating as it is. If you wrote "vegetarian, no fish" on RSVPs you'd have less chance to get righteously indignant, but more edible meals

Imma gonna try that myself in future. Only with one small amendment:

”Vegetarian: no vegetables, only fillet steak (well done)”

Watch this space. 🤞

How the fuck did you as an adult eat a chicken finger and not realise immediately it wasn't a fish finger?

QuopQuop best not let that halo slip hey

you have absolutely no idea what others do it don't do HTH

Of course don't tell her! It was an accident, she's 6, she'll just go about her business as usual. Don't make a non-event into an issue. At the moment, no harm has been done, everyone is fine. Why would you wish to upset her?

This thread is so unintentionally funny