Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Food/recipes

For related content, visit our food content hub.

Original poster

When did your child understand what meat really is?

32 replies

snowleopard · 14/03/2008 10:36

Sorry, I'm sure it's been done before but couldn't find a recent thread.

We eat meat and DS (2.9) loves most meat and fish, but he's sarted asking a lot of questions and now seems anxious about it. If I say we're having eg fish or chicken, he says "not a real chicken, real chickens live outside" and wants to be reassured. We recently had a boots ham sandwich and it had a picture of a pig on the box. He kept saying "not really a piggy in the box mummy, piggy isn't inside".

I don't have a moral problem with meat, I buy free range where possible and I was intending to explain it all to him in an idealistic bucolic hugh fearnley twattingstall kind of way. But tbh I wasn't expecting these questions so soon and I don't want to upset him and put him off food. But it's getting to the point where the questions are so direct I'll have to be honest or lie - and if I lie he'll get confused when I do tell the truth. What did you do/say and when?

OP posts:
teasle · 14/03/2008 10:39

My DD1 realised where meat came from just beofre she started nursery, and has been veggie ever since.
I told her where meat came from, it was hard , but I didn't see the point in lying, as my mum had said lamb chops grew on trees when I was little, and I resented her for that.
I am proud of her for sticking to her veggie guns though, so to speak.

Original poster
snowleopard · 14/03/2008 10:43

Thanks teasle - what age was that, about 3?

I don't mind if DS does want to be a veggie, he just seems so young and I don't know if he'll understand it if I do explain everything - I don't want him worrying about food in general.

OP posts:
Poledra · 14/03/2008 10:45

My 4-yo understands where meat comes from, and it hasn't made her veggie (though she isn't hugely fond of meat, but never has been really). I think you should tell the truth from the outset - on a similar note, I recently had a conversation with my 4-yo about death and she said 'But you won;t die Mummy, will you?' I said 'Yes I will sweetie, but hopefully not for a long, long time.' She seemed OK with that and the conversation moved on.

sandyballs · 14/03/2008 10:45

I think my DDs probably understood at about 4, but it has never bothered them. It certainly hasn't put them off eating meat.

FluffyMummy123 · 14/03/2008 10:48

Message withdrawn

teasle · 14/03/2008 10:50

I know, those sorts of questions are quite hard and come when we're not prepared for them don't they?
Yes, she was about 3- but thats just her- my DS and DD2 both eat meat quite happily.
I think my mum said the growing on trees thing because she just wanted me to eat the same as everyone else, and as I was the youngest of 5 I see her point- now!

NomDePlume · 14/03/2008 10:50

You have a small holding ? I thought you lived in suburbia, fish

(notes that this is not in chat)

FluffyMummy123 · 14/03/2008 10:51

Message withdrawn

princessosyth · 14/03/2008 10:51

We rear all our own meat so when ds has roast beef for sunday lunch he knows it comes from Daisy. I am dreading easter lunch because we have all become quite attached to our little larry but such is life.

NomDePlume · 14/03/2008 10:52

mwhahaha

NomDePlume · 14/03/2008 10:52

not loling at larry ! Lolling at fish

Original poster
snowleopard · 14/03/2008 10:54

I was very confused by the deeply urban cdo's smallholding

OP posts:
Original poster
snowleopard · 14/03/2008 10:55

snurk at your misplaced evil laugh NDP! Por larry

OP posts:
FluffyMummy123 · 14/03/2008 10:55

Message withdrawn

Original poster
snowleopard · 14/03/2008 10:57

Would you like to keep llamas cod? (sure sign of daft urban dream of smallholding)

OP posts:
VictorianSqualor · 14/03/2008 10:59

My DS has never questionned it, he is 3.4.
DD however is a little crusader all on her own, she questions if my chicken is free range and has said we aren't to have lamb at easter because they die so young.
She is 7.
Hasn't stopped her eating meat though, just caring about where it came from.

FluffyMummy123 · 14/03/2008 10:59

Message withdrawn

NomDePlume · 14/03/2008 11:00

there are several alpaca farms around here

NomDePlume · 14/03/2008 11:00

they seem to be de-rigeur in livestock circles

princessosyth · 14/03/2008 11:01

All the odd eccentrics keep llamas, not sure why. Are they good for milking?

FluffyMummy123 · 14/03/2008 11:01

Message withdrawn

hertsnessex · 14/03/2008 11:01

my boys have known since 2-3. it doesnt bother them.

tortoiseSHELL · 14/03/2008 11:02

Ds1 claims to be veggie because he doesn't like the idea of killing animals. We have chickens, but don't eat them (they are egg producing pets). Tbh I don't think I could enjoy eating a pet, and that would kind of defeat the object of rearing your own meat! Am urban wuss.

OverMyDeadBody · 14/03/2008 11:02

DS knew from about 2yrs when he watched his uncle slaughter a chicken and then helped pluck the feathers.

Then we where in Cairo at Eid time just before he was 3 and the markets where full of sheep being slaughtered, blood everywhere, buckets of entrails, heads stacked up, so he pretty much made the connection! It didn't upset him, just fascinated him!

No point hiding the fact, it's just part of life. If you approach it in a matter-of-fact manner it shouldn't upset him.

tortoiseSHELL · 14/03/2008 11:02

llamas are very good for keeping foxes away from chickens apparently...

Swipe left for the next trending thread