Mummy, how do fish get from swimming to being eaten by me?

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

"I Really Want To Eat A Child" is a great book from that PoV too - about a little crocodile called Archilles who wants to eat a child. DS loves that.

[Babyluv]

Haaha Epacris that's made my night what a funny little bloke!!!

[Nai]

I'm vegetarian so I told dd1 exactly where the meat came from straight up , unfortunately she didn't share my pint of view. She licks her lips and says "mmm Bacon" when she sees pigs

Maybe she should meet your son, epacris - like minds....

[nothing2lose]

Maybe she should meet your son, epacris - like minds....

Please keep these two faaaar away from each other!!!!

[Epacris]

Maybe she should meet your son, epacris - like minds....

Look out world....

[LaDolceVita]

I like N2L's second explanation about the too many fish in the sea story..

My DS refuses to call Chickens by their name and instead points at them and exclaims "Yummy!!" The lady who ran the petting zoo was not so amused...


Sent from my iPhone

[krysalyss]

OMG I love some of these replies. They are hilarious! We are also vegetarian and so told DS about the meat food chain a long time ago as we lived with meat eaters. I am also a wildlife biologist so he is aware of other animals eating meat etc. He went through a stage of telling people he was a meat eater too although he never asked to eat it. But now he is happy to be vegetarian. I would just tell them the basic straightforward truth without too much detail and leave it up to them to process it. We never pushed it a lot with DS - just explained why we (as in DH &I) chose to be vegetarian, we never said DS HAD to be. Regardless of how they feel for a little while, they will usually pick up your eating habits. You may get more questions of why you choose to eat them, and just answer them as honestly and simply as you can. Hope this helps

[Cranky Kitten]

I second the thought of being honest about it, and explain that some animals (cows, sheep, chickens, fish) are kept for us to eat, but others aren't - others are our pets and help us (like sheepdogs) instead. I wouldn't be too worried about her mixing up the killing of a fish for dinner with a pet dying if explained in this way.

I remember growing up on a farm and always being very matter of fact about where food comes from, watching sheep being butchered for the table from about age 6 - and being totally blindsided that other kids in the city didn't know this...

[onthefly]

I think we either have to be honest or turn vego
DS knows we eat animals and they have to die in between. He has also exclaimed mmm bacon at the mention of pigs

[kiwimummy]

I'd agree with others to just be honest. I also would use accurate words about what happens. DS has been asking questions like this since about 2 - 2.5yrs. He knows where all meat comes from and it doesn't seem to bother him at all. It's funny kids just accept things if they are told in truthful non-emotional ways. He still happily eats meat. I don't love the detailed discussion, but I'd rather not lie to him either, or even give him vague answers. He's 4.5 too.

[nothing2lose]

I actually agree with the other posters. We have always been honest about where meat comes from. But I also respect your preference not to go the "whole hog" (pun intended) and reveal the truth about our scaly and furry friends being oh so yummy!

[Astrid]

Another family here who are happy to explain where meat comes from, even before getting our property we were upfront about it. When DD1 was only 2yo we were in the supermarket. She was looking at the bacon and in a sad voice said "dead piggy" then quickly changed to a happy voice and said "piggy yummy!"

Here they have seen chickens killed for food. They knew we killed a goat and DD1 was interested to see it afterwards when it was hanging. None of it has stopped them eating meat.

[little_mrs]

Take him fishing!!!!