Family mealtimes are not the same in our house since a little person asked a big question.
“Mum? Am I eating an animal?”
This is what my daughter, Matilda, started asking at the dinner table a few weeks ago.
Matilda was four-years-old. She is now five (BIG difference, everyone).
Anyone with small children knows that they bring all of the questions, all the time.
In fact, young people, if you want mealtimes to remain peaceful and uninterrupted by life’s big questions, keep taking your contraception.
“And are YOU eating an animal?”
After we have established that yes, every individual around the table was indeed eating an animal, guess what?
She didn’t let it lie.
Matilda: “What kind of animal is it?”
Me: “It’s a moo-c… it’s a cow.”
M: “Is it dead?”
Me: “I really hope so.”
M: “How did it die?”
Me: “Um. I think it got shot. Sorry, NO, I remember now, it just went to sleep.”
M: “Did it hurt?”
Me: “Definitely not.”
M: “It didn’t hurt but it DIED?!” *Disbelieving look*. “Why didn’t it just run away?”
Me: “Um, because it was… it was… in prison.”
M: “That’s just horrible. Why do people eat animals?”
Top Comments
I wanted to be a vegetarian at a similar age, although I didn't have a problem with animals' feelings, I just didn't like meat and had heard that vegetarianism was a thing. My parents insisted I keep trying meats (especially new ones) but they didn't force me to eat them beyond that. I was always willing to eat vegetables (spinach and brusssel sprouts were actually both near the top of my favourite foods list) though, so it's not quite so simple for everyone - I get that not everyone's 4 year old was as keen on their vegetables.
Mum and Dad thought it was important I eat enough meat that if I changed my mind later I would be physically able to eat meat, unlike some of my sister's friends who were raised vegetarian and can't process meat now that they're adults. Beyond that, they were quite accommodating of the whole thing, and just discussed the issues with us realistically. When they didn't know something we just looked it up together (although I realise they were probably better informed about it than most people).
I think my parents were fairly realistic about the food webs and explained it as a kind of cycle of energy moving around the world/food web, so we understood but didnt see it as an emotional thing… I also didn't read many books with anthropomorphised animals, which may have helped, but it wasn't a really conscious choice so much as a personal preference for books about people.
kidney bean cake is the way to go!