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Writing Maternity had a narrow escape from dealing with an even trickier explanation than why boys probably shouldn’t wear pink trainers to rugby practice.
The Meat Question.
I actually stumbled headlong into that one myself the other week when watching “Charlotte’s Web” (Charlotte, I’m so sorry). I can’t believe I actually mumbled “Mmmm! Sausages!” (Look, I’m sure the original book is marvelous but really…), forgetting that dudelet has the ears of a bat for anything he shouldn’t be hearing.
“Sausages? Why did you say sausages?” That’s when someone shot me with the Stupid Gun.
“Well, you know what sausages are made of?”
“No.” Questioning look.
Long pause.
“Where’s your GameBoy?”
I got away with it. He isn’t ready yet to know the truth about pigs and sheep. Or cows. Or rabbits. Or buffalo (note – buffalo burgers – low in saturated fats and absolutely delicious). Or deer, rabbits, ducks, chickens…I think he’s put two and two together about fish (though the consequences for Nemo have probably escaped him) but heaven only knows what he thinks about the rest.
But when will he be ready? And how do I tell him? And is there ever any end to these awkward conversations lining up ominously into the future?
Conversely, how do the vegetarians out there cope when their darling turns into red-handed carnivore? Actually, if you’re a vegetarian, there’s plenty of advice out there but the rest of us are on our own.
So what am I going to tell him when he finally asks me where sausages come from? The truth. What happens then is up to him.
Meanwhile, following on from the Thursday’s post, my cousin just sent dudelette a gorgeous brown party dress for a three to six month old. One of the most elegantly tasteful pieces of baby clothing we’ve been given yet. Supermum held it up and we both looked at it and chorused “Cute!” What’s happening to us? How can I even be considering the idea of dresses? And why did no-one tell me how complicated girls are?
Filed under: carnivores, family, gender, meat, parenting, vegetarians | Tagged: carnivores, children, dresses, family, meat, parenting, vegetarians
We’re omnivores, so our kids have been eating meat for a while now. We handled this issue by very calmly speaking about where our food comes from, and talking a lot about farms and hunting (thank you so much, Little House on the Prairie, for bringing that one up so early!) So, for us it’s no big deal, and all the cards are on the table, so to speak, about where our food comes from. We also make a big point to say “thank you” to the animals, plants, farmers, bees, etc. who provide our food. So we might be eating breakfast and literally say “thank you chickens! thank you cows! thank you wheat farmers!” while we’re eating.
Let the school explain sausages and ham! Believe me the kids’ school saves me from so much.
The dress must be “cute.” I really am all for cute frocks.
Girls aren’t complicated–I have two! But, then again, that’s probably why I think boys are complicated.
We’re with henitsirk on the meat issue.
As for dresses, after two daughters, my take is this: before they’re 6 months, dresses are kind of pain, but there isn’t much at stake. Between 6 months and walking, dresses are positively counter-productive: they impede crawling, and hamper all kinds of movement in pernicious ways. After about two, my older daughter developed a profound preference for dresses, which I’ve made peace with for two reasons: 1) one-garment dressing makes it far easier to wrangle a toddler out the door in the morning, so pity those poor parents-of-boys who don’t really have the option, and 2) wearing dresses never seems to slow her down: she’s just as fierce and daring on the playground in dresses as in pants, and if she doesn’t care that the other kids can see her underwear at times, who I am to be fussed by it?
Hey
Henitsirk and DR, we should seriously look at instituting some sort of grace. We are such a bunch of heathens. Achelois – you could have a plan there. Mizmell – boys have their complications but at least I have the inside track…