Informed consent in meat-eating.

Back when I was pregnant with Cassandra, Stephen and I had lots of discussions about how we would feed our babies once they were on solids.

Stephen is a meat-eater and I am a vegetarian/wannabe-vegan. At the time, I cooked two variations of the same meal each evening, one with meat, one without. As babies came along I got busier, and we now eat vegetarian most evenings, with meat side additions for Stephen usually around three times a week.

So when it came to deciding when or if our children would try meat, here is what we came up with: I would raise the children on a vegetarian diet until they were of an age that they could understand what meat was and then try it if they wished.

Of all my parenting decisions so far, this is the one I get the most criticism for- By far!

I am repeatedly told that I should give my children meat and then let them decide when they are older if they want to be vegetarian. Frankly, this baffles me. I think people think that way because meat eating is normal. Normal it may be, but neutral it is not, which I think is the implication people are making.

I am of the opinion that in many things, but particularly when it comes to beliefs, there are very few things that are neutral. But having said that, I am being as unbiased as I can possibly be. I haven't spoken of factory farming, or any of my own beliefs about meat eating or anything. I explain where meat comes from and that is it. So far, Cass has not partaken except for a few tastes of fish. She doesn't show any distaste about meat, or any emotion at all really. I'm still not sure how much she understands, but I am satisfied at this stage that if she asks for some meat that her Dad is eating, she can try it if she wants.

It kind of feels like a big experiment. We don't know how it's going to turn out.
Stephen thinks our children will all become meat eaters because eventually they'll try meat and realise it's the greatest thing on earth ;) I think they may turn out to be meat-eaters because Daddy eats meat and Daddy is extremely cool :)
Or, that our girl/s might not want to eat meat because Mum doesn't. Or our particularly sensitive or feeling-type children won't eat meat but the other children might eat meat. Or or or.

So back to Cassandra. She knows that Mummy doesn't eat meat, she knows that Daddy does eat meat. She knows where meat comes from vaguely. I say to her: 'The pig dies, then it gets cut up and cooked and that's where Daddy's bacon comes from.'

I'll often say: 'Would you like to try some?' and she will most often reply, 'When I am a big grown-up.' I don't know where that comes from exactly.

Anyway, this is all well and good and I thought we were going to plan.

Children have been raised thus far healthily on a vegetarian diet- Check.

Three-year-old knows where meat comes from- Check.

Three-year-old knows she is free to try meat- Check.


Until two days ago when I heard her speaking to her brother.

Cassandra (playfully tickling Eli): Oh Eli! I'm going to eat you!
(loses playful tone and says seriously) Because one day you will die and then you'll be meat.

I stifled my slightly horrified laughter and told her that we don't eat people.

'Why not?' she responded.

My mind raced. 'God's law says no. Also, so does Man's law.'

'God says no?'

'Yes.'

This is feeling more and more like an experiment! But I am so interested to see her reaction if/when she tries meat for the first time.