Why are people so arsey about vegetarian kids?

[bohemianbint]

DS is 14 months and vegetarian, because I am - we don't have meat in the house and I don't touch it so there's no way I'd be feeding him meat even if I wanted to. (Which I don't.) The way I see it, it's not a problem, I know about what foods to give him to make sure he's not missing out and he's a very healthy lad who will eat anything.

So yesterday, my brother said me "forcing" vegetarianism on him is the same as me "forcing" religion on him and compared it to christening a child and making a fundamental decision for him.

The way I see it is he can do whatever when he's older (but I'll never be cooking it for him!) but if he chooses to be a vegetarian he can't "un-eat" the meat. If he wants to eat meat, then fine. Why should I "force" meat eating on him? I had it forced on me and it really screwed me up.

Anyone else had to deal with this sort of attitude and how do you deal with it? I found "shut up" worked reasonably well yesterday (I get so tired of justifying myself!) but not really that eloquent, is it...

BB the ironic thing is, we ALL impose our choices on our children. whether those choices are to be vegetarian, or eat meat, or eat food loaded with fat, sugar or whatever.

no one really gives tiny children choices, do they (beyond them spitting out what they don't like)?

my girls are 3 and 5 and do now eat a bit of meat when we're out. but when they were tiny it seemed a bizarre to go out and buy meat JUST for them. and very unnatural to me, as i didnt eat meat as a child.

I suppose the rationale behind people's arsiness is that they see vegetarianism as an adult lifestyle choice and - rightly or not - see it as being forced on the children when they are not in the position to make a choice.

It's a difficult one as there are similarities with the arguments that children have to be exposed to a variety of religious beliefs so they can make an informed "choice" about one which is right for them (which, in practice, they rarely are - given a choice, I mean).

but so many people eat crap meat. how is giving your child processed, mechanically reclaimed , revolting meat somehow broadening their food horizons?

Panickypatch my baby was very prem and I was unable to breastfeed - perhaps this was the case with the couple in question.

Even if Westerners have the privilege of being able to consider vegetarianism among one of many 'adult lifestyle choices' that doesn't explain why it is perceived as a negative choice.

Really, there are still people out there who think it's so strange? Incredible ignorance.

exactly noonar I completely agree with you there if the only meat on offer was crap I don't buy it whats the point?!

I'll tell you why people generally get arsey, it's because it undermines their own decisions which they are perhaps not entirely happy with.

Exactly, noonar.

er no
cos its a pita to entertain them
fissy beggars

how is it cod? there's so much veggie stuff about now its not really hard to pick stuff up

I know many more fussy meat eaters so that's bollocks. But you knew that anyway.

It's only hard for unimaginative morons who eat meat 3 times a day YAWN

walnut you are very aggressive for a vegetarian

True.

I've OD'd on lentils.

i love lentils.
and bacon.

why is the decision to force vegetarianism onto a child perceived as worse than choosing to be omnivorous
WE are 4/7 vegetarian main meals here every week sometimes more sometimes less but that's average
So what?

no reason.
i think tis just annoying if you haev to cater
anwya as we sit ehere i am bubbling away a veggie lsagne fo my mates kdis
!

Exactly. But you can say it 50 different ways, piff, and the Bacon Brigade will still get upset.

mmmmmmmm baaacon

I think for vegetarians to assume that omnivores are secretly guilty about their food decisions is a red herring as to why vegetarian children can get a bad press. If I'm honest I am of an age where it was common in my teenage years for girls to become vegetarian around the age of 12, usually lasted til they hit 16, and often seemed to be done for attention-seeking reasons, or as part of the adolescent phase of wanting to be different. And even the ones who persisted beyond 16 always seemed to waver when a bacon sandwich was on offer. So I suspect that the bacon-sandwich eating, "oh and I also eat white fish" vegetarians can tend to suggest a degree of fadiness.

The whole issue of children making an "informed consent" as to whether to eat meat is an interesting one, as it depends on what reasons you think they may wish to make the decision - taste, risks of unsafe mea, religious observation, farming practices. I may choose as a lifestyle choice not to have a television in my house, but my children can watch television at school and at other people' houses. By not owning a television I am imposing a lifestyle choice on them (until they are old enough to buy one and pay for a TV licence, or work out which website to download programs from!), but they have freedom in what they do outside whilst in someone else's care. They probably won't want to watch TV as it is alien to them, but I'm not bothered if they do. That said I would find it a bit odd if someone insisted that they sat and watched television on the basis that they were unrounded people without it!

If I have to cater for vegetarians I look at it as an opportunity to show off what a great cook I am

Had to cater for much more difficult meaties in my time cos are too meat-n-2-soggy-veg to try anything different.

Still, that's why I have dh tied to sink.

Holier-than-thou types are horrible no matter what their taking the moral high-ground about.

You CANNOT raise your children 'neutrally' so every choice you make denies them of another, or several others, or several thousand others.

So, all choices are impositions.

But of course you are not presuming that veggies are more likely to be 'holier-than-thou' are you , Carmenere?

Seriously, far more antagonised meat-eaters IMO.