Anyone raising a vegetarian family??

Hi everyone! just wondering if there are any other vego women(or men) on here? surely i cant be the only one! how do you stop in laws feeding your kids meat? or anyone vego themselves but still feed their kids meat?

I'm not vegetarian, my mum is and we were for a while growing up. I just wanted to say that I think your in laws should just respect the fact and NOT feed your kids what you don't want them to eat - this is regardless of if it's meat, choc, whatever. I think that's very disrespectful if they are doing it behind your backs.

I am raising a veg daughter although I am not strictly veg (was in the past) I would like to be but practical issues get in the way with catering to a carnivore! I just wanted my daughter to go a while without meat until she decides herself down the track- I have ethical, environmental and nutritional issues with eating meat so am trying to do my best for my daughter. Like Ozziehoffy said, the issue is one of respect with you inlaws and not one of meat. I would be very firm with them and tell them straight out that she is not to have any meat under any circumstances ever! I don't give my daughter processed sugar foods either so when she is offered marshmellows, biscuits, choc etc I just say firmly "I haven't given her sugar food yet, thanks". Geez I would be mad at your inlaws if it were me.

I am vegetarian but I am not raising my DD as one. However,, she doesn't eat meat at home and really isn't that big on it. I guess she never got the taste for it in utero or in the breastmilk so it isn't something she ever got used to. She does eat meat at childcare and sometimes at MIL's. My mum is also veg so DD eats veg there as well.

I will explain to DD when she is old enough to understand why I chose to be vegetarian and I will let her make up her own mind as to what she wants to do. Obviously I will be very happy if she also decides that she wants to be veg.

I think in relation to people feeding your child things that you don't want them to you need to tell them up front and explain that this is the way that it is. DD has a peanut allergy so we need to say to people that they cannot have peanut products around if she is there. Even though it isn't quite the same if people are aware up front then they should respect that and do as requested.

We are a vegan family - me, DH, DD5, DS2 (I am preg with #3). I have been a vegan for 13 years and have had vegan pregnancies with all my kids. I am motivated by ethical, environmental and health reasons.

My mum is a vego, my sister a vegan. So, I have no problems from my side of the family. My DH family are all meat eaters but totally respect that we are raising our children vegan, and have never fed them non-vegan food (not on purpose anyway!). We were clear from the outset about what our kids could eat, but as we had been vegan for many years before conceiving, everyone just expected that we would raise our kids that way. It helps to provide food for yourself and kids whenever visiting relatives. And make it really yummy, so people see that we aren't deprived ! Then people begin to understand what you do eat. Also, there is a lot of research/articles out there about raising healthy vego/vegan kids, so maybe you could provide photocopies to the family! Many people in my DH family now make some of the vegan recipes that we have introduced them to, and they realise that we can still eat yummy cakes and desserts. My MIL has become an expert at vegan cakes (and she isn't vegan or vego).

My DD is old enough to understand why we make an ethical decision to avoid foods that cause suffering to living beings. She has compassion for animals and wants to avoid causing suffering to them. Obviously, we explain concepts to her in an age-appropriate manner. As she gets older, the info we give her will become more detailed. She believes that animals don't want to be killed or hurt.

I applaud people who raise their children with ethics of compassion and non-violence for humans and non-humans. All the best!

I'm vegetarian, and would like to raise DS as vego too, but DP is adamant that he have some meat in his diet. Considering the amount of "discussions" we've had about doing things my way, and the fact that I have gotten my way with most things, I have relented just a little bit. It wont last, though!! As the primary cook in our household, and an ex-chef and catering officer for a childcare centre (all vegetarian!), it comes naturally and easily to have a fantastic, varied, nutritious vego diet. I refused to cook meat for DS, so DP bought some jars of stuff that I reluctantly fed him, but I think it stinks and it certainly makes DS behave (and smell) differently. We have yet to introduce DS to his grandparents as they are overseas, but we will be going over to see them soon and I think it's going to be quite a challenge not just to my dietary preferences but parenting style as well! Culturally, vegetarianism is a bit foreign to them, and it will be a bit of a challenge to all of us to accept our different parenting styles, let alone dietary choices, but I know what's good for us!

We are vegetarian and for the most part get supported by our families. I think you should say to them that anyone who feeds them meat has to change their pooey nappies for three days as it definitely makes that part stinkier - ewww! I bet that would stop them. But seriously I agree that it is more a matter of respect for your parenting. Are they worried about nutrition? You could always see a vegetarian dietician. We did when DS went to solids and it has definitely helped with other people who question us (eg. doctors). Perhaps they just can't think of what a vegetarian would eat. Many omnis don't realise that you don't really need to deprive yourself and that there are lots of options. Give them some recipes or send the kids with some snack foods.
On the other hand if it is them just thinking they know better tell them the kids had diarrhoea after coming home from their house and that meat disagrees with them.
Last resort - send them a copy of the 'Earthling' DVD or some nice pictures of abattoirs.
HTH