I don't want my kids to be vegetarian

[HowToTrainYourTeen]

DC (15 & 13) have decided they want to go vegetarian. I don't want to go vegetarian and neither does DH, so they'd have to have different meals. I/DH don't want to be wasting time making 2 different meals whenever we want meat or fish, and we don't really have space for 2 people to be cooking at once. WIBU to say no?

But you can’t tell me it’s healthy for them

Obviously it is because there are literally millions of healthy vegetarians and vegans. The added carbs tend to be pulses which are as good a source of protein as meat.

Again, if for moral reasons, it doesn’t matter. But you can’t tell me it’s healthy for them

Eating a bad diet is not healthy. It doesn’t matter if that’s vegetarian or not.

Carbs aren’t the devil as part of a healthy diet.

When DD was about 13/14 she decided she wanted to be a vegetarian, I told her that was perfectly OK, I would cook all our meals as normal, and she was free to substitute something else for the meat. I was not really surprised that she wasn't really interested if she had to make an effort.

It's obvious vegetarian posters will rush over themselves to tell you that "of course you must not only accommodate the children but start eating less meat, fish, and animal products yourself"

YANBU to refuse to give yourself more work on a daily basis, or to refuse to buy rubbish like quorn. Human beings happen to be omnivores, you do absolutely nothing wrong in offering a healthy and varied diet to your children.

It's obvious vegetarian posters will rush over themselves to tell you that "of course you must not only accommodate the children but start eating less meat, fish, and animal products yourself

Meat eating posters are saying it too. HTH.

I’m not vegetarian, but I can very much see that there is no issues with eating less meat and a lot of benefits.

I don’t give a shit what anyone else eats

But threads like these just remind me of how accommodating my parents were when i stopped eating meat at 9 (pescatarian)

I decided on Christmas eve and the only thing my mum said was ‘can you wait til boxing day’

VinylDetective
you are perfectly free to leave your children rule the house. It doesn't make it right or acceptable for everybody else. HTH.

@HitthatroadJack

VinylDetective you are perfectly free to leave your children rule the house. It doesn't make it right or acceptable for everybody else. HTH.

Bit of a leap to ruling the house

Actually not a bit of a leap

Huuuuuuge leap

you are perfectly free to leave your children rule the house. It doesn't make it right or acceptable for everybody else. HTH

So if your kids ask for fish fingers for tea that’s “ruling the house” and such rebellion must be quashed immediately?

Do people really just prepare meals and insist others eat it with no regard to what they like and dislike?

What do you do with guests? Are they “ruling your house” if they dare be vegetarian or have dietary preferences? Do you present them with what you cook and expect them to eat it regardless? (Yes, that has happened to me. I went hungry. Funnily enough the person who presented a veggie guest with lamb cassserole is now veggie themselves 😂)

does it matter? This thread is obviously only going one way.

No vegetarian is ever going to say: of course refuse and feed your children meat.

No omnivore meat-eater is going to say: meat is bad but I chose to feed my children unhealthy food because I want to shorten their life expectancy

Not only no one is ever going to change their mind based on a thread, but no one is even trying to. Many posters just enjoy throwing digs at each other. It is entertaining in its way, that's why people are on MN, but it's utterly pointless. Some of the comments are still very funny.

bluebluezoo

Do people really just prepare meals and insist others eat it with no regard to what they like and dislike?
Have you got kids? Yes, that's what parents do. Healthy food comes before preferences and requirements. How is that even a question!

All three of my children eat meat to one extent or another

I can’t work out whether ive failed as a mother or not

And cos i let them eat meat they are obviously ruling the house...ive been usurped 😩

Lazy, disrespectful and dismissive. Don't be surprised if they start resenting you

Is this for real? WTF?

@teateateateateamoretea

Lazy, disrespectful and dismissive. Don't be surprised if they start resenting you

Is this for real? WTF?

Yes, absolutely for real. Authoritarian parents who don’t respect their children’s developing autonomy do tend to be resented. We no longer that children are seen and not heard.

We no longer think, ffs!

Yes, absolutely for real. Authoritarian parents who don’t respect their children’s developing autonomy do tend to be resented. We no longer that children are seen and not heard.

except that isn't even slightly the right characterisation here, is it? It's "pander to their fads, make seperate dinners every day, do everything they want you to, or you are LAZY and your children will HATE YOU"

It's pathetic. Parenting isn't about doing anything your children want, without question. Thats not the opposite of authoritarian, its poor and wanky parenting.

And you're right, you clearly no longer think.

It's a wonderful world. Everybody knows they have a sense of humour, excellent manners, and are perfect parents.

Yes you would be massively unreasonable.

I applaud your children for making such a moral and ethical decision and they should be absolutely respected for doing so.

Such a shame that you aren't willing to give it a try too.

Parenting isn't about doing anything your children want, without question.

Of course it isn’t. It’s teaching them how to think for themselves and be capable of determining their own moral compass. Which is what’s happening here. How interesting it is that only the authoritarians feel the need to be rude.

@HitthatroadJack

bluebluezoo

Do people really just prepare meals and insist others eat it with no regard to what they like and dislike?
Have you got kids? Yes, that's what parents do. Healthy food comes before preferences and requirements. How is that even a question!

Absolutely. You don't like it, don't eat it, but it's on the plate regardless. As my DM used to say, you are lucky you have food, if you were starving, you would eat anything. Good old days.

Have you got kids? Yes, that's what parents do. Healthy food comes before preferences and requirements. How is that even a question!

The choice doesn't have to be healthy vs. Unhealthy you know. If I have some mince out I will ask whether people fancy spag bol or cottage pie tonight. If the one who doesn’t like spag bol is in I’ll do cottage pie. I’ve got one who prefers salad to veg so I’ll do both, or salad one night, veg the next.

I’m not a dictator. Everyone in this house has the right to be treated as an individual and not just bend to my will. i accomodate preferences as best I can so generally the chances of someone having to go hungry or eat a meal they dislike doesn’t happen.

I remember being forced to eat things I disliked at school in the 70’s. It was awful. I ended up vomiting rhubarb all over a dinner lady.

Of course it isn’t. It’s teaching them how to think for themselves and be capable of determining their own moral compass. Which is what’s happening here. How interesting it is that only the authoritarians feel the need to be rude.

You are funny, I give you that. Not terribly objective regarding this thread and the various post I have read, but funny.

Don't make them eat meat if there is an easy meat-free substitute do it, if there isn't then they need to cook for themselves those nights, occasionally you can all eat veggie.