So, meat-eaters, if your 5-yr-old announced that s/he was becoming vegetarian

[Pruni]

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If DS1 (now 10) wanted to try it out, I'd let him, no problem.

If DS2 (now 8) did, I'd say no. We already have to provide him with a dairy-free, wheat-free, gluten-free, colouring, sweeteners and preservative-free diet. Meat is essential for him, IMO.

So, DS1 as a 5 year-old - yes.
DS2 as a 5-year old - no.

DH did this when he was about 5. He's still veggie, although he does eat fish and seafood (obviously not cute enough for a 5yo to care about ).

I started all 3 boys off as veggies (as it was easier) but they've all discovered the joys of meat and are now committed omnivores.

MIL just used to give DH whatever everyone else was having minus the meat. No wonder he's as skinny as a rake.

Well, I have learned something new today then

What about trying to explain about 'happy meat'?
maybe you could teach her now that she could choose meat that comes from very well cared for animals. Maybe try and tell her about the food chain at the same time.

I wouldn't mind my ds (7) choosing to be veggie but I would need him to fully appreciate how important a balanced diet is. He is a fussy wotsit when it comes to food.

I have always had a bit of an issue to do with kids being veggie but not knowing about how ill-treated dairy animals are (in most cases)

I guess 5 is still quite young though to expect a full understanding from them of all factors.

at happy meat

what do you mean puddle?

No I would never support it alhtough it is fine if other people like to be vegetarian and their kids too but i would not support it just as i would not support anything else I was not happy with in my own home. this is becuase In my family culture (some are hispanic )not eating meat for ethical reasons is pretty rare and some have little food on occassion and so for my western ds to sit there turning his nose up at meat for reasons I don;t feel very strongly about would infuriate me, if they are teenagers it is different as they are older though and can make their own vegetarian stuff and buy it, the food I give ds is fine so no i would not , I mean he is not allowed junk and has a good diet but I think there are better ways to live a good life and don't have a problem with meat.

AAARGh dont mean 'better' ways meant to write 'different' ways I take that bit back!!!!!

Ignore the last sentence of the fist post I did , I take it back and don't mean to offend

DD1 (12) became a veggie 3 years ago. The only problem was that she wasn't keen on veggies! lol

Anyhoo... moving to senior school soon stopped that nonsense... though she's never been keen on meat even as a wee one. So she'll eat white meat and fish! I just cook up extra veg (as she doesn't like the meat substitutes) on the days that the rest of us carnivores eat red meat!

Dp turned vegie as a young teenager but didn't bother telling his mother. It was a year before she found out .

I don't trust vegetarians

ever since I was at university and house-mate brought back some chicken legs from milk rounds (when big companies came round and provided huge buffet) and I got blamed for eating them .. well for 3 weeks she was throwing me funny looks .. and it turned out to be the long-term committed vegetarian in the house (had been veggy for 12 years) who had come back tanked and just fancied breaking her eating pattern

never trust a vegetarian .. sneaky buggers

Love you too, Twigs ...

I'd say yes dear now finish your sausage roll

Your chicken legs would be safe around this vegetarian, Twig. Any chocolate hidden away wouldn't stand a chance, though.

Think dh would be mighty teed off if ds decided to go veggie - he loves cooking meat. I'm veggie anyway so would suit me fine. So far have managed to avoid ds knowing I'm veggie as I don't want to put him off meat (he's 3). We could feed him a healthy veggie diet but it would just be more effort given that dh is the main cook round here.

my ds 5 said he wanted to be vegetarian too, just like his dad. He was eating a cheese and ham sandwich at the time.

I honestly wouldn't mind. I used to be a vegetarian, I don't have a problem with vegetarianism, and I fully expect one or both Inferiorettes to go veggie at some point. DP thinks differently, but then he knows bog-all about nutrition.

ds did when he was 4. Announced it at nursery -they said to me 'We didn't know he was veggie' and I said 'neither did I.'

I was pleased really and happy to comply ( better for whole family) -veggie diet far healthier. The only deal I made was ds had to eat all his veg and proteiny meat substitutes if he wanted to stay veggie.

He stuck it for 2 years and at 6 announced he was no longer veggie. Now he is a true carnivore but I don't ever regret letting him follow his principles.

dd1 almost did that when she was 6. She was visibly unhappy at eating meat knowing it was an animal. But she said she did like chicken nuggets (yes, yes, let it go) and chicken.

So I said she should carry on eating chicken nuggets and chicken and she didn't have to eat any type of meat she didn't want to. She was only 6 so didn't feel strong enough in her ideas to stop chicken altogether.

But of course I would respect that decision! She would almost gag at the sight of it and talk in an unhappy way about the dead animal.

Diet is abig issue the world over, I respect vegetarians and I would take my daughters' views on it seriously.

I would say
When you can cook for yourself you can be whatever you like

(actually i would have no prob with it really, I was a veggie for years)

Flutterbee - read a fabulous article about a woman who had about 14 kids and started her own beautiful baby garment business and really seemed to manage it all in a very nice way - that's exactly what she said to her children who wanted to go veggie.

What next - no fruit shoots !!!

If one or both parents are veggie then fine , but otherwise it would be a PITA for a meat eating household.

I respect peoples wishes about food, but its bad enough when MIL who is a veggie comes to stay once in a blue moon to find a menu for her .

My FIL loves to see us as he gets a proper roast dinner for a change !

Depends on the current diet of the family I suppose. I don't find it hard to modify a meal re meat content. Do people have meat in every meal?

MIL usually ends up with a fish dish , in fact we all do, which gets my goat up as I am not a fish fan ! I find it so much easier not dealing with peoples eating habits and just getting on with it .

I do try ...honest !!

I'm a lapsed veggie, ate meat for the first time when I got pregnant with DS, nearly years ago. My mum says I just wouldn't eat meat from the age of three or four, wasn't happy with the whole idea of where it came from, at all. She respected that (and started cooking with lentils and tofu) and if my children were as adamant as I apparently was, I think that I would do the same.