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5 Year Old Wants To Eat Meat (we Are Vegetarians)

Discussion in 'Schoolgoers & Teens' started by beingmom, Jun 4, 2019.

  1. beingmom

    beingmom Silver IL'ite

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    My 5 year old wants to eat meat and we are vegetarians. I have explained to him why we cannot eat meat (the primary reason is that we don't want to hurt other animals). But he is not listening and is ok with eating meat.

    I don't know how to handle this. Any help?
     
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  2. newwife

    newwife Bronze IL'ite

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    Does he have lot of meat eating friends ? Pressure from peers?
    I would start with fake meat like tofurkey etc and pack lunch for school which is similar to his friends like tofurkey sandwiches, noodles with tofu, etc. also may be check with your temple etc if there is a religious group etc with like minded people or help him make a few vegetarian friends so that he does t feel left out
     
  3. startinganew

    startinganew Gold IL'ite

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    Can you ask him why he wants to try meat? Will help you understand where it is coming from and make a decision on how you want to handle it. If he is not able to articulate - then ask him if he is curious to know what it will taste like? Or if someone told him it is tasty so he wants to try it?


    Regarding the reasoning for not eating meat - I am at a loss too. I wouldn't know how to explain to my kid. Why do I think its OK to drink cow's milk - isn't this meant for the calf and this process of us taking it away hurts the cow and calf? - I don't want to take this thread away from your question - to "should we drink cow's milk" or something else - but I am stating this to tell you - that a 5 year old can also easily come up with this question so we need a more convincing reason. I don't know the answer though. For context: I am a non-vegetarian trying to become a vegetarian. And hope to raise my kid a vegetarian. But I don't plan to enforce the "practice" though. Because from experience I know most rules (even "unsaid" ones) my parents made for me I tried hard (and creatively) and broke as a middle schooler and teenager. :)

    Maybe there is a children's book to illustrate how in different parts of the food, diets are so varied. (Innuits eating raw whale blubber, crunchy insects relished in the far east, etc) so that very young children grow up aware of these variations and choices. And can learn that it's OK to be different.
     
  4. beingmom

    beingmom Silver IL'ite

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    I think the pressure is from his peers. They're not pushing him in any way (based on what he shared), rather he is seeing them eating meat/fish and wanting to try it.

    The other day, we were at a party and my hungry kid got one cheese pizza. by the time he finished it and ready for another one, the cheese pizza gotover and only chicken pizza was left to eat. He wanted to eat the chicken pizza and I had to divert him from eating chicken by giving him multiple juice boxes/snacks etc.

    I'll try fake meat for now.
     
  5. Amulet

    Amulet IL Hall of Fame

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    How did you wean him away from breast milk ?
    Children can be trained or tempted away from even the most desired food and the pacifier/comforter. Use your old techniques.
    Fake meats (mentioned in a post above) that is cooked to taste pretty awful, could be one way.
    The side-effect of this would be that he will eat meat outside (with friends, or at school lunch) but not at home. And this is what most of the adult vegetarians do when they do not want to seem too finicky in a party.
     
    sbonigala likes this.

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