Vegan kids will save the world!

The other day my four year old son and I passed a dairy farm on a way to the circus. He said: “This is a barn. That’s where unfortunate cows live.” I asked him, “You know about the barn?” And he said, “Yes. Also I know about a chicken coop. That’s where unfortunate chickens live.”

And my heart sank. Yes, it’s exciting that my son is picking up the basics of veganism, but shouldn’t he be guarded from these horrors for a bit more? Stay a kid for a bit longer?

My six-year-old is a bit more advanced. She takes pride in being vegan and will never eat meat, but will take an egg omelette if offered at a friend’s house. And although I haven’t been adamant about it until now, pretty soon we will have to discuss why I don’t eat or use animal products with no exception.

Being a vegan parent to vegan-ish kids is not easy.

I have to bear with family dinners where my kids are tempted with fish, eggs and dairy and I have limited options for meals for already finicky eaters.

Trips are tricky, too. We have to do some planning in advance about what we will eat and what we need to bring. And you also worry they get enough darn protein. I don’t worry about myself with a huge amount of lentils and vegetables that I eat, but I have to admit, I do worry about them at times.

Bottom line, parenting vegan is not a walk on the beach. But you know what?

It’s absolutely worth it when I hear my kids talk about it. And explain to their peers why they don’t eat meat, why they love cows the same way they love dogs and the amount of compassion they have for human beings (myself included) because they have been taught to be compassionate to animals since they were born.

And that’s the most rewarding thing about our family’s vegan journey and I wouldn’t have it any other way.