How would you explain vegetarianism to a 3 year old?

[TraceyP]

I am vegetarian, dh and dd are meat eaters. My dd has started asking questions about why I don't eat meat, and is not accepting being fobbed off with "because I don't like it". Dh made the mistake of telling her once that I used to eat meat, so now she wants to know exactly what my reasons are for being veggie. I've tried the simple explanations that some people just don't eat meat, to which the question is always "but why not? I want to know why not". When I tell her that's just the way it is, she still asks, "but why?".

She enjoys eating meat, and I don't want to start putting her off it, but I don't really know how to answer her questions without making her feel that she shouldn't be eating meat either. I don't want to go into graphic detail with her, of course, but I'm at a loss how to explain it.

TraceyP you sound a very thoughtful & considerate mum.

Agree with Thomcat. I'm a veggie and do wonder how I'll explain dh eating meat/me being veggie to ds (who does eat meat) when he's old enough to ask but too young to have a real debate about the ethics... sadly my friends back home have had to give up farming so I won't be able to show him first-hand how a 'good' (ie non-factory) farm operates.