If you are vegetarian and your spouse is not...?

Question

...did you decide to raise your kids as vegetarian? How did you come to the decision? Are you both okay with it?

Answer 1

i recently stopped eating most meat but i do eat seafood so i am not a vegetarian.

i cook the meals and my husband doesn't care as long as he has good food  so my baby will not eat meat except seafood  because i just don't cook most meat.

i do plan on talking to the pediatrician about it to make sure i give him all the nutrition he needs.

Answer 2

I'm in this situation. My spouse agrees that meat is not that healthy but she doesn't stop to eat it. I'd had liked to raise my son as a vegetarian but I had all my family against me. It is not easy. I just try to let him eat the less meat as possible. One day he will choose himself and I'm sure he will be a veggie. My answer is not to marry a non veggie. In my next life I'd do that way, even if nice and beautiful veggie girls are difficult to find. Good luck.

Answer 3

Well, I'm vegetan, but I'm not married, but if I did have kids, I would let them choose for themselves, not govern what they can't eat.

Answer 4

I am a vegetarian, but my hubby is not. He is very supportive though and said I can cook whatever I want for him as long as it tastes good. So he eats veg at home and whatever he wants when he's out. As for our kiddos, they both went veg when I did. It was their decision and they are very happy they did. They are 13 and 15. Now that I am a vegetarian, if I were to have any more kids, I would definitely raise them veg. and my hubby woould be O.K. with that. I think it's important to be on the same page with your spouse when it comes to child care issues. I would recommend gathering as much info as you can so that you can quiet any fears your hubby may have about you or your kiids going veg.

Answer 5

my bf is not a veg, but we've talked about htis many times... when he eats with me he mostly eats veg... he decided on his own to start eating more of the veggie "meats" (mostly for health reasons rather than ethics which is my reason) so we mostly eat our meals together as vegetarian.  he also completely understands my reasonings for doing so and knows how strongly i feel about it... we've discussed raising children (religion is also another issue for us) and we feel we should raise them as openly and honestly as possible... as the mother who will be the primary caretaker for them i'm going to raise them mostly vegetarian. as they get older and curious i will let them know exactly what meat is and they can choose.  i've also told my bf i feel better about meat in general in the house if it's from local organic farms... i don't think i'll ever be buying them a hamburger from mcdonalds.  its really no different though than parents who feed their kids meat cuz they think it's better or as a religion because it's what they are... you've chosen this for you bc you feel it's the best lifestyle and therefore you pass that on to your children... as they get older educate them and let them experiment and make their choices...

Answer 6

I'm a recent convert but 'Himself' is and always will be a caveman type (he's a rugby player, he can't help it =) ). My kids always enjoyed fruits and veggies so they will lean towards my own dietary choices but they'll still have little bits of chicken and fish. I'll let them make up their own minds as they get older, I've never pushed any of my views on them and in my mind that makes for strong, independent individuals who make good choices.

Answer 7

well i am a vegitarin (spelling) myself.. and well we had asked them if they wanted to be or not.. so let just let up to them.. and it was eaiser for us so we wouldnt have to fight or the kids would have to not do wht they wanted to eat..

Answer 8

My friend is a vegetarian and her boyfriend is not. They are raising their son as a vegetarian because they feel it is in the best interest of the child. Her boyfriend knows that it is a healthier being a vegetarian so he wants the best for his baby. He isn't a vegetarian because he is to stubborn and loves his meat to much!.. In most cases i would imagine that the children would eat whatever the mother prepares for them. It is the mothers job to feed her children and prepare their meals. What you make is what they eat. Unless they are older children then perhaps you should let them choose for themselves.

Answer 9

You are your kids first teacher in life so have confidence in the choices you make for them. if you and your spouse agree on a vegetarian diet for your children then just make sure you know enough about the nutritional needs with the diet.

When they are old enough to make decisions like diet etc. Then you will have directed them in a good and positive way that their choices and overall health will be solid and they will have you to thank for that!

Answer 10

Firstly I would show your spouse all the facts, show him/her that it is healthier and that kids can get all the nutrients they need. I'm sure they wouldn't mind their child on a veggie diet after that BUT... If they don't maybe more facts to take away any concerns they might have. I'm not sure what else you can do.

You could always raise them on a diet with little meat and when they are a little older let them make the decision them self.

Either way when your children get older you should let the child make the decision for them self. You should never force your lifestyle of beliefs onto your children. It's not right, let them be them self.

But I'm a 16yr old drop out so you probably don't think what I have to say is worth listening to. There you go, hope I could help you.

Answer 11

i'm a vegetarian and my husband is a meat eater....

we have decided to raise our children vegetarian, cooking only organic vegetarian foods in our home.

we currently only cook vegetarian foods in our home unless my husband feels the need to grill something outside, so it shouldn't be a hard transition.  my husband eats meat at lunch at work, restaurants, etc.  and we have been happy with that arrangement.  we will allow our children to choose for themselves when they are old enough to understand the full implications of eating meat, but it will not be cooked in my home.  i really do believe that raising vegetarian kids is the most healthy thing you can do for their diet.  going organic is just another effort to give them the healthiest diet possible.

we came to this conclusion because of health reasons.  my husband is a medical student and even though he eats meat, he knows from his coursework that a vegetarian diet is generally healthier than an omnivorous one.  

i think when you make it a health issue it becomes obvious what choice to make....we want what is best for our children and we want to set a good example for them on healthy eating.  remember, what you teach young children will stick with them for life.  i would prefer to teach my kids that apples are snacks, not little debbie cakes.  

i will discuss the moral/ethical/religious reasons with them when they are old enough to understand without ruining their innocence, but health is a value that everyone should understand.

i hope that helps =)