And they will break your heart even when they're little.  That just comes with becoming a parent and you deal with it.  My children are sometimes veg*n, and other times, they want the yucky stuff.  I prepare healthy, yummy vegan meals at home, and when we go out to eat, well, everybody makes their own choices.  I'm o.k. with that because I feel that my kids are too young to understand the reasons for veg*nism.  At 3.5 and 5.5, they are too young to hear about factory farming, and they are too young to understand about cholesterol and other health aspects.  I don't keep the truth from them, but I give them the glossed-over, Cliffs notes version of things at this point.  I hope that I don't catch a lot of sh!t for sharing how I am raising my kids.  I admire all parents who try to do the best for their kids, whatever that may be.  Also, I should add that I was an omni when my youngest was born, and became vegan when he was almost 3.  I am expecting again, and really I haven't given much thought to his future dietary habits, other than that I will breastfeed exclusively.  When you have kids, you want what is best for them, and you want them to be happy.  There are a lot of disappointments along the way (and I speak from personal experience, looking back on myself as a child), and like I said earlier, there are disappointments from the beginning.  We all build everything up so much, and the reality is often beautiful, but very different.  Even when we are happy that things are the way they are, its bittersweet. 

Children learn their parents' morals. Whatever they truly are. A parent can teach their children the best of things, but if in their heart they are not true to their own principles and convictions, the child will grow accordingly. Every child will stray in some way, but "train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not forget". In the final count, he will have learned your heart. How could you teach your child to be anything except for what you believe in? Being inconsistent and uncertain is the most certain way to drive your childrens' belief in you away. Rearing children is always difficult, having set standards makes it much easier than others who just go with it. (Like, taking time and effort to put dinner in the oven versus stopping by MickeyD's on the way home--benefits are pretty clear for those who bother to look for them). ;)

. the analogy is. . .bringing vegan children into this world is the best way to provide for our Earth's future.  ;)

Well put. While this is not the only reason a person should consider having or not having kids it is a good point. I am one of those people that for many reasons has decided not to have children and this is one point that does bother. knowing that I would raise the type of child that I want around in the world. A good book to read is Raisin vegetarian Children. Bottom line follow your heart.

The only way my daughter could ever break my heart... is if something tragic happened to her, and I didn't have her anymore.  My mother raised me the same way - a mother's love is instant, powerful - and forever.  In my family - raising a vegan child is just NOT going to happen.  My daughter, however, is incredibly in tune with her body.  I feed her the best things - including the meat she wants.  She sees both sides - and in time will make up her mind.  The best things I can give my daughter are love, devotion, support, respect....and knowledge.  I would never try to cause her to be vegan by discussing meat in a disparaging way - she knows that I make my choices because I feel fruits/veggies are the best thing for my body.  I supply all the different pieces of what I deem to appropriate knowledge - never trying to skew her opinions.  Well - that's not true, I do try to skew her opinions in the way that I teach acceptance and equality - and the fact that our individual differences are what make us such interesting people.....  :)

rachlove2,

children, no matter how you raise them WILL break your heart.  i have a teen daughter and i am a teacher of 12-15 year olds.  i have to tell you that no matter how you raise them with all the morals and ethics that you value, they will make decisons that will leave you asking, what did i do wrong.?'  in part, you probably did nothing wrong and its just a child finding his or her own way.  i have taught thousands of children and i have educated them from the 'best' and 'worse' of family circumstances.  some of the kids who come from in tact, two parent, middle class homes, sometimes are the absolutely most disturbed people.  however, some kids i have educated have parents incarcerated, have been abused, in foster homes, and occassionally homeless have surpassed many children who come from priveleged homes.  sometimes you never know.  i have been a single parent for my daughters entire life.  we live a middle class life and thank goodness, she has listened to most of what i have taught her.  she is a very compassionate young lady.  she is bright, strong, and self assured.  she is a leader in her group and she is respectful to adults.  however, she is lazy and a procrastinator.  she wears crazy clothes and listens to music i cannot understand.  her room is a mess and she is mopey at times. she stole some earrings 2 years ago and i was totally devastated when the stores security officer called me to come pick her up. why did she do it- she had money?  sometimes i look at her and want to strangle her but mostly i look at her and wish i had another just like her.  in short, she is awesome!!!

when i went vegan a year ago, she ate meat.  i purchased meat, i fixed it, and she loved it.  when she wanted fast food, i bought it without grimacing.  i gave her material to read and being the person that she is, she began reading articles about animal sufferings and the impact meat eaters have on the  already fragile environment.  6 months ago, thru her own choice, she became veggie!  i know for a fact that she does not eat meat away from home.  she is a woman of conviction and knows that i love her no matter what she does.  if one day she comes home and tells me she wants a beef burger, i will of course ask why but then support her choice.  she is almost an adult and i will not be the kind of parent who insists a child do as i do- not because it is right but simply because its my way.

so if you are wondering if kids are worth it then the parent and teacher in me says YES!!! i have never doubted my decision to be either and i can honestly say that kids have given me much more than what i have given them- they gave me a purpose.  take your time in deciding, it really is life changing!

good luck

My mother did not rais me veg*n But it was the way that she raised me that led me to be the type of person that I am today. She always gave the room to be my own person and make my own choices. She always supported me and helped me learn from my mistakes and not give up when I fell.
I was brought up on a farm with all organic vegetables. we grew all our own food except for a bit of fresh stuff in the winter. I never had access to the sorts of proccesed foods others brought in their lunch and usualy turned it down when offred. We did have meat growing up but it was usualy the smaller portion of the meal. We had a deep conection with the earth and it has always stayed with me.
For a bit of time in highschool i went really unhealthy and got fat and pail and sick. My senior year I put it back together and decided to go vegetarian with my moms support. I lost the weight and got back in to bike riding. A couple of years later I lost my mom to breast cancer. This brought me to examine the food I ate and the world that I live in even closer. I've been a bit up and down with raw and vegan for the last few years but have settled on a diet that is happy for me vegan(about 80% raw). I know that she would have supported me in these decisions too.
I ramble a bit but I guess my point is that A mothers love reaches far and wide and long. Sometimes you might not even know the extent to witch it effects your kids but it does and will stick them forever.