Raise Your Kids Vegan Whether ‘They’ Like It Or Not: Ignore Non-Vegans
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If you’ve been reading the Ultimate Guide for Raising Vegan Kids since the beginning of the guide then you have:
- decided to raise your kids vegan
- Learned about the 2 vitamins you must supplement (unless they’re running naked in the sun all day everyday, then there’s only 1 vitamin you’ll need to supplement!)
- Discussed raising your kids vegan with your husband or wife
But, there’s more people in your child’s life than just your immediate family, whether they currently get to see them in person or not.
These people are the ‘they’ I’m talking about.
The people in your child’s life who think that you don’t know what you’re doing as a parent.
Who criticize your choice to raise them vegan.
Who watch your child for you so you can work.
Who spends time with your child because they are friends or family.
‘They’ are:
- Grandparents
- Your siblings
- Your friends
- Other relatives
- Daycare providers
- Teachers
- Doctors
And ‘they’ could be someone else, as well.
If ALL of ‘them’ are 100% approving of you raising your kids vegan, you can’t even to begin to understand how happy I am for you!
Seriously, you basically just won the jackpot!
For most of us vegan parents:
‘They’ are not vegan and probably don’t understand why being vegan is the best for you or your child.
They still believe what they were taught in school.
They still believe that the best way to get protein is meat and the best way to get calcium is dairy.
They don’t make the connection between diet and disease (yep, even some doctors don’t make the connection, or they do and ignore it).
But, them not understanding why you’re raising your child vegan isn’t what upsets you.
Their blatant disrespect for your parenting choices is what upsets you.
And rightly so.
You have every right to be upset when another adult criticizes your decision to raise your child on a vegan diet, even if it is their pediatrician.
Especially when they don’t even bat an eye at other parents, who are feeding their kids the Standard American Diet!
You have every right to be angry at another adult who deliberately tries to feed your child animal products after you told them your child is on a vegan diet!
I know you want to say it but feel bad, or even guilty doing so, so I will…
‘How dare they!
How dare they attempt to feed your child animal products…
Things that have been scientifically proven to cause disease…
The so called ‘food’ that is the result of cruelty towards another creature…
A culprit that contributes to the destruction of our planet…
How DARE they!’
And what’s worse is when they try to guilt you into thinking that raising your child vegan is neglectful.
It’ll make you ponder.
It’ll make you question.
If you’re smart, which I know you are.
And if you’ve done your research, or have been following this guide; then you won’t be questioning your decision to have your child on a vegan diet.
No.
You’ll be questioning ‘their’ intelligence.
‘They’ think it’s common sense that you need meat for protein and dairy for strong bones.
You know that’s false.
You know that there are healthier protein options to feed your kids.
(Beans, lentils, and legumes for example.)
You know that dairy does not help kids grow strong bones, in fact it does the opposite!¹
Calcium and Vitamin D helps kids grow strong bones, and there are better ways to get those than drinking milk meant for a baby cow.
Such as playing in the sun and eating some leafy greens, like broccoli or kale, or beans.¹
And you wish you could tell them exactly how you feel and just how wrong they are, but for one reason or another, you can’t…at least not in the way you really want.
But, there are some appropriate ways to discuss this with them. Ways that will help them understand and start to respect you and what you feed your kids, even if just a bit more.
That is what we’ll go over in the next article!
Didn’t start from the beginning? Start Here!
Need some inspiration for being or raising vegan? Check out the vegan quotes in Vegan Quotes: For Health, the Planet, & the Animals!
¹https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-information/health-concerns-about-dairy/calcium-and-strong-bones
