I am not a parent, but I will be one day(like in 10 years). I understand now is a better and easier time than ever to be vegetarian, but I was curious about any hurdles you veggies moms and dads have had raising your children. I amnot concerned about health issues because if you are doing it right, then that won't be a problem. I am concerned with how people react and interact with you and what they say or do. (Sometimes factual information doesn't matter when faced with ignorance). Also, I have heard horror stories involving the grandparents (particularly grandmothers) and vegetarian childredn- feeding them meat behind the parents' back, etc. (I don't worry about this particular one with our parents..my grandmother on the other hand....refuses to read anything about vegetarianism butis quick to criticize it) I just want your storeis and input. Frustration will not deter me from raising happy, healthy vegan children. I just want to hear your good or bad experiences.
Milk is a huge thing for us-everyone's always pushing milk(and flouride, BTW) on our girls.Even granma, who is super health conscious pushes raw milk and raw cheeses on them. There are so many options for you though. There are a great many products available. Also, you might have kids with totally different tastes(and texture issues), like we do. One eats carrots raw, not cooked, one eats "bally"(cherry)tmatoes, but not sliced,one will *not* eat mashed potatoes, which includes baked , since that's really "just a mashed tapato in there". You might have to search a while to find one that everyone will eat at once.
I don't seem to have any problems. I get only compliments and praise. My husbands mom Im sure would like to say some things but she knows better
My parents are fairly... unsupportive with this. My daughter has been vegetarian for about 3 weeks now, and I have been told that my dd is starving herself and that I'm helping her. It's frustrating really, since I am fighting so hard to keep her diet balanced... and she's actually eating better now than she ever did before we changed her diet. Every time we go to their house, Mom pushes the dairy foods. We went out yesterday to help her because she hurt her knee the other day, and my lil girl has been paying the consequences all day today. I hadn't realized that she'd had quite that much dairy, or I would have said something. Since we are still quite new to this, I am just learning how to handle "situations" right now. So far I'm finding it easiest to bring food with us for myself & DD... it's not very popular with my parents, but it works. And with every one of us having different allergies & food choices it makes our life worlds easier. love, mom
