Help with kids
Ive never really posted here before, just a couple of times, but I have a question.... What do you ladies/gentlemen do when your vegan child starts going to other kids' homes and birthday parties and such? When there's sugary cake and all of the other kids are eating it, and you're child is vegan but wants some? Or what do you do when your child goes to a sleepover at someones home? Do you send a special dinner with them because they're vegan and not pizza eaters? I have a 6 year old and a 2 year old. We
re just getting to the age where he's starting to ask to go over to his friends' homes. I'm just afraid he'll try a big glass of milk, or something and get sick because he's really never had it before. Advice??? :-\
Thanks so much!
Annie
I would suggest maybe calling the child's mother before the party or sleepover and explain to them that you're a vegan fam. I would also plan to send a container of soy milk along unless your kids are ok with only drinking water or juice, if they offer it. It does get awfully difficult to control their diets though when they start having social lives! And in some cases you may have to send food! It's not always safe to give them something like PB & J, you never know what bread they use. Or you could always feed your child before they go. A friend of mine's daughter is lactose intolerant so whenever she goes to a party where she knows there will be dessert, she sends a special cupcake or something similar with her daughter so she doesn't feel left out and is still able to enjoy dessert. Just a few thoughts :)
This debate has gotten a little heated in the past, but me personally, I let her have the cupcake. She knows we're vegan, she knows why we're vegan and what it means, but she is 5 and sometimes I think I shouldn't make a big deal if someone elsa is giving her something out of kindness. I she's going to a friends house for the day, I send enough food for her to eat and to share, but I also expect she'll probably have something non-vegan. She hasn't gotten sick yet, although if she had an unknown allergy-I guess I'd have to trust the other parent to let me know/take care of it properly. Also, parents will probably understand completely if you send a couple soymilks or whatever. Just communicate with the parents and do the best you can. 95% vegan is pretty darn good for a little kid, I think.
I always feed my daughter before hand, and bring a snack.meal and a treat for cake time. My daughter actually has allergies, so maybe people are a little more careful about it, but its the way we have always done it, so she doesn't care at all (at least for now) that shes not eating the same things as the other kids.
Like the others, I feed my daughter ahead of time and bring her a special treat for cake time. At one party Caitlin had picked out some chocolate chip cookies from the health food store. The birthday girl ended up wanting some of those over her own cake. I just make sure that what I am bringing is something she really wants. I really don't see it too much different from me going to a friend's house. I just send along food, usually enough to share, and don't make a big deal about it.
This debate has gotten a little heated in the past, but me personally, I let her have the cupcake. She knows we're vegan, she knows why we're vegan and what it means, but she is 5 and sometimes I think I shouldn't make a big deal if someone elsa is giving her something out of kindness. I she's going to a friends house for the day, I send enough food for her to eat and to share, but I also expect she'll probably have something non-vegan. She hasn't gotten sick yet, although if she had an unknown allergy-I guess I'd have to trust the other parent to let me know/take care of it properly. Also, parents will probably understand completely if you send a couple soymilks or whatever. Just communicate with the parents and do the best you can. 95% vegan is pretty darn good for a little kid, I think.
I second this. I used to bake and bring my own thing for him to have. We don't cave on meat of course, and my 10 yo will pass on the icecream on his own. sometimes he even passes on the cake. sometimes he has it. There are other threads on this somewhere where I explain my choice better.
My 2 year old hasn't had anything non-vegan. I would like to keep it that way, but I think the same thing will probably happen.
In short, I think it is better to be 95% vegan than to turn the kid off completely to vegetarianism by being too militant. They really do have to make their own choices at some point. but yeah, for sure tell the parents so they don't give him baloney or something!
half the time he will have some and then not like it and throw it out. :)
Thank you all for your imput and sorry it took me so long to thank you.... I have not had internet access for quite some time :(.