to think parents shouldn't bring their child up vegetarian?

[Picante]

Unless for religious reasons.

Yes this is a thread about a thread but I think I was annoying too many people over there so I've started my very own for people to get annoyed with me here!

I just think it's mean. Meat is such a huge part of our culture and fair enough if you're old enough to decide that you don't want to kill animals... but children should be given all sorts of food in the early years, including meat, until they are old enough to make that decision for themselves!

Thunderduck...

u r probably right (sickly child). DD eats a huge amount of veg and she likes fruit well enough but i cant get pulses near her she hates them all... just worry u know... thats what parents do best

ROFL Tsarchasm!

Some kids are just bug magnets unfortunately.
And of course it's natural to worry, I don't think it matters what decision a parent has made, you'll find yourself questioning it from time to time.

I don't know which religion to follow now - should we follow all of them or nothing? I mean I don't want to foist my opinions on them ... in fact I think I'll let them run wild as I shouldn't be so controlling. Surely we influence our children every day and make decisions for them, it's beginning to annoy me that most of you think veggies have brainwashed their children into being veggies.

I was horrified when I realised what mince was and I barely touched meat from that moment.

what is mince?

Ground meat, usually beef, but it can be chicken,turkey, pork or lamb too.

Thunderduck, I am just speaking from my own experience. I was taught so forcefully well that eating meat was wrong that trying it was never really a choice for me. I feel that by giving my children meat but letting them know they have the option of becoming vegetarian if they wish is the best way forwards.

How can they make a decision not to eat it if they don't know what they are choosing not to eat?

I love the new name sheep I'm very glad you didn't take offence!

i thought from schilke post, it was like testicles, or tongue or bladder or something?

dragonsheeprider - there was nothing to take offence to

Honestly schilke, I do feel I was brainwashed into being a veggie, I couldn't knowingly eat meat and it is through no compassion for the animals, it is purely because I was brought up not to.

My DCs know what meat is, where it comes from and the older 2 still choose to eat it. They may change their minds as they get older, as might DD, that's fine.

I was always weird about mince in Shepherd's pie and then my brothers told me what it was - I just remember feeling ill!! I can't look at mince now ... not that I do very often. Mind you liver would put anyone off surely.

I do believe they should have the option when they are old, though I wouldn't necessarily expect the parents to cook it for them, but if they so desire they should be allowed to eat it outside of their home.

While they're youg, toddlers and pre schoolers certainly I'd expect them to eat an approximation of what the parents eat.

One could say that it's wrong to give children flesh when they are too young to understand that they are eating what was a sentient being.

I'm sure that the majority of vegetarian children will know what meat is, even if they haven't tasted it.
I find that vegetarians are more comfortable with discussing what meat is and how it gets on one's plate, than many meat eaters,who don't want their children, or even themselves to know what exactly is involved,are.

That study does not show vegetarians have lower bone density.

The news story is confused. Once you get beyond the headline and standfirst the researcher admits: "the magnitude of the association is clinically insignificant."

Also: 'Nguyen found that there was "practically no difference" between the bone density of meat-eaters and ovolactovegarians, who do not eat meat or seafood but include eggs and dairy in their diets.'

It's really not clear what he's found because the terminology is confused, trying to make a fake distinction between vegetarians and, um, ovo-lacto-vegetarians (i.e. vegetarians).

It's a lot of hot air from a researcher who had a hunch, investigated it, found his hunch was rubbish but can't admit he was wrong.

I think that DCs should know where food comes from, from the very start. A lot of my relations are farmers so I watched cows being milked before I can even remember. I helped my aunt collect eggs. If we were having chicken for dinner my aunt killed one, I preferred not to watch. I knew that the animals were well looked after and they were only kept for food. It has never been a problem-the nicest lamb I ever tasted was one I knew the name of!
I would hate the country side without animals-which is what would happen if no one ate them; we would have fields of crops and acre upon acre of poly tunnels. The Lake District would be overgrown and the whole landscape would change-small field patterns wouldn't be needed.
Nothing is ever said about the cruelty of yanking a lettuce out by its roots in its prime! Logically people should become fruitarians and only eat food that has dropped off the plant.
However, it isn't about whether people should be vegetarians or not-everyone is free to make up their own minds and IMO this includes DCs. They eat what is on offer in the home but they should be free to eat anything they are offered outside it-once they get past the age of about 5 yrs.

Beckle - do you think your experience is akin to being brought up in a very religious family, so even when you grow up you can't disobey the tenets of your parents' faith? Like a cradle Roman Catholic being unable to, I dunno, eat meat on a Friday or use contraception?

becklespeckle - are you still veggie now? We have always made it very clear to our children that it's up to them, but I'm not cooking it. I told ds1 if he wants bacon when he's 14 (or whenever he's able to cook without burning the house down) he can buy it and cook it, but I'm not (I will provide the money!)

I don't think they feel brainwashed. At a party I asked him what he had to eat and he said a couple of crisps as it was all meat. He could have eaten meat if he wanted, but chose not to. I know ds2 has had the odd fish finger elsewhere and has had pepperoni pizza (spat out!) and I don't mind. I haven't made them feel bad. I asked ds2 if he liked it - obviously not pepperoni pizza, but he quite liked the fish finger. Now I have never liked fish. According to my mum I ate one mouthful of fish pie and never ate it again!

'they should be free to eat anything outside it' - well, if that were the case, we wouldn't have all those threads from people objecting to fruit shoots and Greggs sausage rolls, would we? People clearly DO care what their children are fed at school/nursery/at their friends' houses.

My ds does eat meat as it happens, but I have enough of a grasp of logic to realise this is no more valid a choice than raising him to be a veggie.

I just don't understand why some people feel so strongly about other peoples' children eating meat. Why does it bother you enough to have an opinion?

Older, not old sorry. I'm sure they can eat meat at some point before they're able to collect a pension, if they so desire.

piscesmoon - do you not think 5 is quite young to make that decision? My boys did not really understand at that age - or would simply think I'm not going to eat it as mummy & daddy don't. As they get older then yes they are more capable of a proper thought about decision.

I have told classmates parents that my children are veggie, not so much because of me not wanting them to eat meat, but more that if you gave them meat they probably won't eat it as they are not used to eating it.

Ds1 recently had a schooltrip to France - he was given a tuna baguette every day in his packed lunch .. that was the veggie option. He didn't eat it and was too shy to tell the teachers! Mind you the dairy avoidance child was also given a cheese baguette - if only they'd known at the time they could have swapped!

I am against what I call 'the thought police'
those who want to control their DCs opinions. If you have a good balanced diet at home you can accept a Greggs sausage roll(are they worse than normal ones? I am afraid that we have never had anything from Greggs)or a fruit shoot without freaking out!
You will lose control in the end! You might as well lead by example and allow a bit of experimentation when young-forbidden fruits are always sweeter.
I find now that mine are older they eat a very healthy diet left to their own devices, it is what they are used to and never forced. I did once have to buy DS1 a pot noodle because he felt deprived! He never requested it again.

Edam - yes I think so. I can't even make myself eat things with geletine or rennet or some other animal by-product in - I am shocked how many things these days still do!

schilke, yes I am still veggie, I don't think I could bring myself to eat meat. It's funny because I don't mind cooking meat (apparently I'm good at it) and have always done so for DH, it seemed natural to give it to the DCs too when they came along. I just don't want them to have the hang-ups about it that I do. If DH was veggie then I doubt I would cook meat for them but I wouldn't make a big deal out of it like my parents did.

I think if a 5 yr old is at a party and he wants to try a sausage he is old enough to taste one-it is hardly a life changing decision!

The trouble is we unintentionally control our children on most issues. Dh was brought up by a fervent CND supporting mother, he hasn't become a fan of trident though.

We should actually realise that all this choice is a luxury and we are very privileged in the west. Most of the world just concentrate on getting enough to eat and they can't afford to be fussy.