To allow DD to be a vegetarian?

[Summerlovin28]

Had one of the school mums, who is also a lunch lady today, make a comment at school pick up today. DD (who is 6) is a vegetarian by her own accord and she has been since she was 4. No one else in the family is a vegetarian but I am a believer in being honest about where meat has come from - due to this honesty DD said she did not want to eat meat anymore as she didn’t want to eat animals, which I said she had a every right to do so. I understand she is quite young but she’s also quite switched on and the idea of eating meat genuinely makes her upset and so I would feel uncomfortable putting pressure on her to. She eats a lot of cheese, egg and beans so does still get protein.
The school mum came up to me on the playground today and said ‘I didn’t know you were all vegetarians’ to which I explained that we weren’t and her response was ‘well that’s a bit silly allowing her to do that isn’t it?’ I was just taken aback and laughed it off a little but it has ruffled my feathers up!

Am I being unreasonable (or a bit silly) to allow her to be a vegetarian?

My friend’s son decided to be vegetarian around 5 and now they have a vegetarian household. Much to their younger son’s disgust - he visits us often for bacon 😂

on the opposite side, I grew up vegetarian but chose not to be at 13. I ate whatever I wanted out of the house but the house remained vegetarian.

I think it’s lovely to support her!

Maybe you’re nose-blind!

Meat

No…don’t tell her to eat shit!

Of course not. Let her be vegetarian, absolutely nothing wrong with that.

My guess is most do!

She will be perfectly healthy if she is lacto-ovo vegetarian and getting a balanced diet. When she's old enough, she might wrestle with the ethics of eating dairy, but that’s a bridge to cross when it appears.

what a plonker she is. Just ignore. You’re doing the right thing in supporting your daughter’s choices. My DS was veggie from 4-6 and it stressed me out no end that he wasn’t getting enough protein but we rolled with it as best we could. He’s full on carnivore now however, the burgers got to him 😂

I would just reply ‘do you force your kids to eat things that repulse them?’

I have beem veggie all my life and raised my kids vegetarian. We don't eat Quorn or fake meat either.

One of them now eats chicken as an adult, which is his choice.

‘And you are a bit old to be making such rude remarks and yet - here we are’

I had many, many comments including from my health visitor who thought raising a child veggie is abusive.

DBro and DH’s DSis both refused to eat meat pretty much from toddlerhood - DBro because of the texture, and DSIL because she didn’t want to eat animals. I went vegetarian when I was about 10 (for ethical reasons) and DH went vegetarian when he was about 40.

DS9 eats meat on occasion, mostly because he isn’t always sure what is real meat and what is fake at school. It’s up to him. I’m sure your friend wouldn’t say I was “being very silly” to let him eat meat if he wants to, would she? She’d think that was absolutely fine.

What a strange comment. If your feet stink in sandals/trainers/slippers/flipflops, they will stink in leather shoes as well I’m afraid!

Of course yanbu for respecting your dd's choices.

We are vegetarian, more out of habit than anything - DH was brought up veggie and I haven't eaten meat since I was a teenager and wouldn't know how to cook it anyway. We always made it very clear that dd was free to eat meat if she wanted to, and had she chosen to do that, we'd have respected her choice.

So far, as a young adult, dd hasn't shown any interest in eating meat, and she is clearly thriving without it. However, there will be no judgement from us if she ever changes her mind in the future.

@Summerlovin28 it is a wonderful thing you are doing for your child. Allowing her to decide, as many of us were not allowed to as children. I wanted to be veggie as a child because I love animals, but was shouted
down and brainwashed into believing it wasn’t nutritious. I’m now plant based(not short of protein at all. Fruit and vegetables provide me with all the amino acids and protein I need) but so sad I let my father bully me into denying my instincts when young.

Stupid, rude woman!
You're doing a great job respecting your daughter's views. Shame the dinner lady couldn't respect your views in the same way.

Let her be vegetarian, don’t judge or criticise. I became one when I was a child and I’ve had nothing but grief about it from my mother.

You are not silly for allowing her to be vegetarian, I’m a vegetarian since age 12 (bless my Mum she came from a very much meat and 2 veg family but accepted my decision) I’m now in my 40’s. I have two sons who I’ve tried to never influence either way (my husband is a meat eater) we did baby led weaning so they could always choose meat or not and they have both gravitated towards being vegetarian. Both now vegetarians and huge teenagers! So I think whatever you daughter wants in respect to meat is up to her and I think your doing the best by respecting her choices.

Other way round for us but the same principal.
I've been a pescatarian since I was 18. Raised my daughter on the same diet.
Around age 6 she started eating meat. Others were surprised I 'let' her considering I don't eat it, but it's her choice and I won't force my preferences onto her if that's what she's happy with. Strangely, I felt quite proud of her 😂
Funnily enough though, she still absolutely refuses cows milk lol.

I never liked meat and really wanted to be vegetarian once I realised it existed. My parents wouldn’t allow it and dismissed it as a ridiculous fad. Since they provided my meals (or the means to get them) I didn’t really have much say. I stopped eating meat when I went to university at 18 and have never restarted.