So, we teach our children where food comes from and what happens? That's right - now got a freakin' vegetarian on me hands <grrr>

[Doodlez]

DS is 10.

Showed him the fish counter at Sainsburys - now won't eat fish fingers, chip-shop fish, prawn toast when we have Chinese...nothing...nada.

Showed him how to cut up a chicken breast to make his own sweet and sour chicken...touched raw meat with tips of his finger tips, blanched and ran from room - now won't eat chicken anything.

Saw egg popping out of a chicken's arse - eggs off the menu.

Can't wait for him to figure out lamb chops.

Now what?

10 year-olds do very little for philosophical reasons. He's touched some chicken meat and thought 'eww' and thinks an egg emerging from a chuck's backside is 'eww'. He's squeamish, not about to join PETA.

My veggie 4 year old is not remotely squeamish about meat and will handle it quite happily - but doesn't want to eat it.

oh, I feel your pain.

With ds1 I got it when he was 4, and he came across 7 dead grouse waiting to be plucked. There he was, in the cellar, looking for me. Only, between me (hanging up the laundry in the adjoining room) were 7 very dead birds.

I thought it was a good time to explain food, and how not everything come out of cellophane in Waitrose, and that his uncle had been out hunting, and shot these birds for us for Christmas dinner.

Yup. Great idea.

We're raising DD, who is 3 the other way around. She is vegetarian and we explain to her where the food and meat/fish comes from. DH occasionally eats meat and she asks what it is he eats. We then ask if she would like to try and she does. So far she has tried pork, chicken and lamb. Only likes lamb.
She doesn't have to eat it, but when she asks to try, she is allowed.
It works well this way for us.

I was 8 when I decided to be a vegetarian but my DM told me the meat we had died of natural causes...I was 11 when I sussed her out and haven't eat meat since.

That is almost exactly what we're doing Bluetinkerbell. Our DD (also 3) only likes ham so far. But the number of horrified questions about her diet that I've had from other mums...

I became a veggie when I was 5. I remember being shocked at where meat came from. Good on your lad for showing some insight about where food comes from rather than blindly stuffing things in his mouth. Vegetarians tend to be a healthier bunch than meat eaters although everyone gets all shocked about protein (meat eaters infact can consume too much protein).

I'd love it if one of my 3 dc were veggies but they seem to have a penchant for processed meat although I insist they eat their vegetables!!!