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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Mummy, where does meat come from?

18 replies

redclover79 · 19/11/2007 19:18

DS1 is 3.7 and has started asking where everything comes from on his plate, we've just had a discussion about carrots, he thinks they are made from orange juice!
Anyway, he has also asked previously where different types of meat come from. I've answered him honestly, but he now won't eat any meat apart from sausages and bacon!! He was never a big fan of red meat anyway, but I'm worried I've just pushed another food group out of his repertoire!
Does anyone have any advice?
tia!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

dd666 · 19/11/2007 19:21

you could grow carrotts and spuds cress to show him that they grow from seeds then when he has bit more understanding meat is from animals

QuintessentialShadow · 19/11/2007 19:25

I now what you are saying. My 2 1/2 year old has not touched chicken since this spring when we went to a childrens zoo and he saw chicken.

I gave my oldest son nightmares by letting him walk into my parents utility room around Christmas time, and he found 7 dead grouse ready to be plucked. I just took the opportunity to explain about the birds being shot, dead, and would be served up on the 25th. Clever mummy. Not.

Sorry no other advise than be careful

PrincessSnowLife · 19/11/2007 19:27

grow your own veg? easy stuff obviously just so that he has direct experience.

take him to a farm?

FWIW - DS (4.3) is very cool with eating his own chickens and eggs. We haven't ever tried hiding anything from him (including when chickens die naturally) and, fingers crossed, is seems to have worked!

Turkeyandsproutsx3 · 19/11/2007 19:27

Mine keep asking where chicken comes from - we keep saying chickens but not sure it registers

BroccoliSpears · 19/11/2007 19:31

Very interested in this topic.

lurk

PrincessSnowLife · 19/11/2007 19:31

you could also try a bit of healthy competition - have a friend of his around and serve meat... the competitive streak in kids of that age usually makes them eat anything you serve!

Kathyisa6incheshighmummy2007 · 19/11/2007 19:34

My 2 year old know pigs make bacon, but I'm not sure if she visualises that as similar to cows making milk, or the pigs getting up in the morning and going to work in a bacon factory

snowleopard · 19/11/2007 19:34

My DS is interested, but doesn't seem to be upset, so far. He does seem to understand that fish in the sea are the same as fish in the supermarket and then on the plate - also that we eat chickens, and the cat likes to eat mice. I'm wondering if it will just carry on from here or if one day he'l suddenyl make a deeper connection and be horrified.

Still, if he wouldn't eat meat, I wouldn't worry too much - he could have lots of cheese, beans and lentils...

whomovedmychocolate · 19/11/2007 19:35

Do you have a city farm (or a real farm) I don't know where you are? Perhaps if he actually met a cow and saw that they have a nice life and live in fields and then one day 'go to sleep' and then we eat them, he'd be more willing to understand.

DD knows that sheep, make lambchops and that eggs come from chickens while they are alive and when they have finished walking round on them, chicken legs come from...well you get the idea.

Or just totally ignore the problem and concentrate on really enjoying what you are eating and see how long it is before he starts asking what yummy (meaty) thing you have on your plate.

Besides sausages are about the worst way to eat meat.

Original poster

redclover79 · 19/11/2007 20:19

thanks for all your replies! I think he's wrestling with the ethics of it all!!
We've been growing veggies in the summer (in the vain hope of getting him to eat something different!), and we had a trip to a children's farm in the summer... We went back there a few weeks ago for a craft fair and I think a few things slotted into place! I don't think it's right to shield him from it, it is a fact of life after all (I should point out dp is horrified by my honesty, and all I'm doing is connecting the fact that the what's on your plate is the same as a chicken on a farm!).
I would be quite happy to cut out meat totally, we don't eat it every meal anyway, especially now!
Quintessential- have your dcs gone back to eating meat again?
whomovedmychocholate - I know, I hate his sausage fixation but I console myself with the fact that at least I buy them from the butchers so I hold out some hope that they contain actual minced meat rather than lips and hooves (bleurgh!)...

OP posts:

HonoriaGlossop · 19/11/2007 20:57

oh god lips and hooves

I think your instinct is right though red, just tell the truth. Lots of kids find it hard to accept, lots don't, and I think most just come to terms with it and get on with eating meat in time.

I think you have to be honest.

oggsfrog · 19/11/2007 21:06

We've never been anything but totally honest with dd (now 7yrs). She has grown up feeding chicks that have become chickens that become sunday's roast dinner.
She's also witnessed the hanging headless body of a cow within minutes of it's death and gone on to eat it in a casserole a week later.

TheQueenOfQuotes · 19/11/2007 21:10

We've always told the DS's where meat comes from. But last Summer in Zimbabwe they're nerves were tested. We went to visit a cousin and while the DS's (DS2 was 2 1/2yrs old, and DS1 nearly 6) were outside DH's cousin went out, caught on of her chickens, killed it, plucked it and then invited them inside to watch her finish preparing it and cooking it....

I only found out they'd seen it when they came rushing back in saying "mummy - guess what we watched the chicken being killed......there was lots of blood" .......didn't seem to bother them at all as they tucked in heartily once it was cooked.

Hulababy · 19/11/2007 21:13

I have always just told DD the truth about where our food comes from. We go to a local farm shop and alwso a local working farm open days. She seens the animals being breed for meet, and then she sees the end product. And she has seen vegetables and fruit growing.

I's never been an issue for her, perhaps as she has always just known. I don't know, but it doesn't faze her at all. She loves her food, esp meat though, so can't see her being put off anyway. She kows that I choose not to eat meat, but she most definitely chooses to eat it, along with daddy. She's even been happy to try snails and alligator, and she discovered that she loves mussels - again very aware of what they were.

I think it is important to explain why the animals are bred, why we (mostly) eat meat, and why we need to breed animals to provide this. We have talked about why I choose free range chicken, organic meat (sometimes), etc. and that it is important that the animals have a good life first, etc.

beansprout · 19/11/2007 21:13

I am honest with ds but we are veggie so there are no dinner time implications!!

notnowbernard · 19/11/2007 21:28

DD1 asked me this a few months ago (she would have been about 3.6).

We were eating a roast beef dinner. She asked what beef was. I told her it was cow. She laughed at me, in a 'don't be so silly, Mummy' way. I reiterated that yes, beef was cow. She was quiet for a few moments... and then said, really straight, "it's really lovely, isn't it?"

I was prepared for an immediate boycott (particularly re fluffy lambs etc) but she is a truly carniverous being!

Original poster

redclover79 · 19/11/2007 21:53

Should I draw a line about how mcuh I tell him though? The boy has an enquiring mind! He asked earlier whether we were eating the chicken's head!?

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trockodile · 21/11/2007 10:27

I would also go for honesty and try to explain that we want them to have a good life, we are kind while thay are alive etc and then eat them and they do not know/mind.
We also see other animals eating flesh -owls/fox etc.
My ds (2.6) has an unfortunate habit of eyeing up pet rabbits and saying 'they look delicious mummy!'

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