How Do You Discuss Veganism To Your Children?
Vegan parenting is often a fairly taboo subject and one that is often plagued with negativity, due to a few isolated cases of neglect or misinformation. I personally believe that with absolutely ANY diet or lifestyle, you need to ensure you perform enough adequate research. But how do you discuss veganism to your children, especially in a non-vegan world?
Our children are quite young still and pre-school aged, so they haven’t been exposed to the more awkward social occasions that could possibly make them feel isolated from their peers. Nevertheless, the questions surrounding why we eat a certain way and exclude certain activities are still pretty constant.
So how do we discuss veganism to our children?
UNDERSTANDING THE WHY
I think first and foremost discussing the why is the most important and transparent way to get your kids to understand veganism.
From our experience, we try our best to simplify the situation and in terms that they understand.
The animal agriculture industry is heavily surrounded by misinformation and misdirection to deflect from the true nature of the industry. People try to defend the industry by saying that not all animals are mistreated, but in reality, doing something to a creature that doesn’t have the ability to offer consent is inhumane.
The way we relay this to our kids, without detailing the graphic nature of the industry, is to simply say “We don’t want to hurt the animals or to put them in scary situations”
RESPECTING OPINIONS
I think it’s very easy for many vegans to get in people’s faces and express their opinions about animal treatment etc., but unfortunately the reality is we live in a non-vegan world.
Understanding consideration for other people’s opinions and life choices is something that should be also discussed with your children.
It’s natural for humans to want to feel accepted, and it’s very important at a young age for children to develop social skills that will assist them later in life. Excluding them from an early age to certain social events or from interacting with certain people could potentially be damaging later in life.
I personally think that discussing that people are entitled to different views, even though we may not agree with them, is natural and something that we need to respect and understand. Educating your children that all people they meet won’t necessarily be vegan, but teaching them to relay to others why they are vegan is an important social skill to develop.
EDUCATION ABOUT REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES
One of the best ways to discuss veganism with your children is to show them how animals naturally enjoy their lives.
Seeing animals in the wild is a truly magical experience, and seeing animals that are typically just seen as ‘food’ is another experience altogether.
Exposing your children to animal sanctuaries is a fantastic way to allow them to understand the why. Seeing animals naturally interact to their surrounding environment without enclosures is a beautiful sight, and a great way to understand that these creatures want to live and enjoy their lives.
I don’t think there’s many people out there that would openly want to see how animals are treated in factory farms, and it is something that is often hidden behind curtains and sugar-coated for children - not many kids would understand the chicken they see at a sanctuary is the same chicken they eat in their nuggets.
TALKING ABOUT THE IMPACTS
For many vegan parents, a strong motivator for the lifestyle is to provide a better life for their children and future generations.
The long-term impacts of the animal agriculture industry is damaging in a number of ways, but the increasing impact on the planet’s health is something that is increasingly becoming an issue.
Animal agriculture puts a heavy strain on many of the Earth’s land, water and energy resources - a third of the planet’s ice-free land surface, as well as nearly sixteen percent of global freshwater, is devoted to growing livestock. It’s a damaging statistic that has grown considerably over the last 50 years.
If we continue to go in this direction, there won’t be much of an Earth for future generations to enjoy. Teaching children the natural beauty of the planet is something that truly needs to be cherished, because we honestly don’t know how long certain landmarks will still be around in the future.
*Let me know some of the ways you teach your children about veganism. Always happy to learn more and teach others