Toddy said:
I'm vegetarian as are our sons, my husband isn't. Fortunately it's amicable...just don't mix up the pots, utensils or washing up.
My family's meat comments (a "Dead pig bun", is what the boys call a bacon roll, roast chicken is a "Burnt hen", steak is a "slice of a cow's a***") occasionally caused consternation when eating out. Children sometimes have a way with words that can be disconcertingly accurate.
Not suggesting anything here you understand Eric!
Cheers,
Toddy
I always make a point of explaining to my children (boy of 4.1/2 and girl of 2.1/2; never forget the halves!) where their food comes from.
They know we eat dead animals.
If, later, they decide they don't like the idea of that, then they'll be free to choose.
For now, they seem to accept that it's normal (maybe becaus it's what they see Mom and Dad doing) that this is perfectly normal behaviour.
sometime soon, I'll introduce the to the idea of killing the animal we're going to eat. I believe that this is good for them, so they understand that we, as people, are part of the same system that allow cats or owls to eat mice, otters to eat fish, and so on, while people are demonised.
In the famile, we also make oa point of involving out children in preparing all the food, where this is practical. My girl was helping me to chop chicory, onions and apples last week, and as soon as she has enough strength and dexterity, she'll be helping with harder things like parsnips, carrots and turnips.
Cutting vegetables if good practice for very small kids. The knife can be blunt, since most of the time, what you're really doing is simply driving in a wedge. You can give you kid a blunt table knife, and it'll work well enough.
My son is getting to point where I can trust him with a properly sharpened knife. Soon, he'll be able to have a go at seriously har work, like carving spoons.
Keith.
