My stubborn dad will NOT let me be a vegetarian.?!


Question: My stubborn dad will NOT let me be a vegetarian!.!?
i would be the only vegetarian in the house!.

he thinks i should eat just a little meat, which just ruins a key point of being a vegetarian!.

he has to be right because he is almighty, and we end up yelling at each other when i try to tell him why, he is not willing to hear me out, and after argueing 2 times on this, he has closed the case by putting a lock on it!.

i have presented my case thoughtfully with tons of research!. while he acknowledges it, he think he is smarter than every other profesional expert out there in the world, and claimes to just, "know these things!."

i feel like he is not taking my best interest into consideration!. he should know i am a girl with a good head on her shoulders!. he dictates my life and he says i can be a vegetarian when i live out on my own, which is sadly not an option at this point (I am 13!.)

what is the point of eating meat if it is an INSIGNIFICANT AMOUNT!. i could be eating something that didn't have a face!.Www@FoodAQ@Com


Answers:
Been there!. I was 14!. The day I told my dad I was going to be a vegetarian, he lost his mind!. He screamed and ranted and raved that you can't survive without meat, that I was going to make myself sick and die!. I didn't yell back, I didn't talk back!. I stood there and took it and waited for him to calm down!. He didn't!. He stormed into the kitchen and made some kind of meat!. I don't remember what it was, only that he told me I was going to sit there until I ate it!. I sat there for four hours while the veins in his forehead throbbed and popped out!. He blew blood vessels in his eyes!. I thought he was going to have a stroke!. Finally, he dumped the meat into the trash, threw the plate into the sink, threw his hands up, screamed "FINE, KILL YOURSELF", stomped to his room, slammed the door and went to bed!. I was free to get up!. I used my baby-sitting money to buy myself my vegetarian alternatives and even cooked their regular meals sometimes like I always had!. In time, he eased up and listened to me- to a point!. He eventually even started buying some of my food for me!. I went through three healthy veg!. pregnancies, had three super-healthy, super-smart ( all over 7!.5 lbs and perfect) children and am now 29!. I'm still here, still healthy, and my dad has accepted my being a vegetarian!. He even has veggie burgers and soy milk in the fridge for me when we come home to visit on holidays!. :)!.
My point is, dont' make a fuss!. Don't preach to them about how unhealthy and wrong eating meat is!. Remain as passive as possible, quietly respectful of his feelings, but stay firm!. Let him know this isn't just a passing whim, that you've thought about it and have made your decision!. Offer to earn money to buy your own food!. Make sure he knows you won't be any extra trouble ( a lot of the time, that's what puts parents off)!. Learn to cook your own veggie meals!. Most importantly, make sure you can answer their questions accurately and humbly when they finally ask- don't get defensive, and don't preach!. It sounds like you've done a good job here already!. :)
Good luck, and hang in there! I think a lot of us have been through this!Www@FoodAQ@Com

I'm 16!. and the only vegetarian in the house!. and its not a problem, at all!. Just let your dad know that you'll still be getting all the nutrients you need, and if they cook something that contains meat, you can just make your own meal!. when my parents cook non-vegetarian meals, I make myself a salad, or scrambled eggs, or a burrito, or even spaghettios!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

What are the options!?

Compromise!.

Can your mom & dad try some meat-free meals!? Actually, I've found that it's cheaper to be vegetarian and it's healthier besides!.

I agree with the others!. You might have no option but to wait until you are no longer under his roof!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

wow!. i'm so sorry!.
maybe can you tell him you'll take vitamins and then he won't have to worry about your health!?
tell him you don't want to hurt animals and eat them!.
o girl this is so tough!.
is your mom or other siblings around!? can you reason with them and get them to help you convince him!?Www@FoodAQ@Com

that is a tough one!. Maybe you can compromise by eating meat once a week!. As long as you live under his roof, you kinda have to eat his food!. Just think of it as a temporary fix until you are 18 and can do whatever you want!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

my parents woulndt let me be vegetarian either until i started not eatting anything but pb and j sandwiches and than they took it more serious, you have to make sacrafices for the animals thats what it is all about!. Www@FoodAQ@Com

If you're a minor, eating the food at his expense, you don't have much of a say in the matter!. Www@FoodAQ@Com

Why let your dad tell You not to be a vegetarian!? try to compromise w/ him or somethin!. If he wont listen, just go ahead!. How can he force you to eat meat!?!?Www@FoodAQ@Com

Well if he won't let you I suppose you'll just have to wait until you move out!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

his roof his food his rules unless you were to buy your own food but you cant Www@FoodAQ@Com

The real quesiton is, why doesn't my dad respect me!? Its not really about the food, but the fact that he is forcing his beliefs on you!. Parents do that allot, because they don't think their children can think for themsevles, and that is true in allot of cases, but not with food!.

So what can you do to make him change!? Nothing really, its not your job to prove anything to him!. Let him be as he is, and think as he does, and you choose the food that you eat!. He can't force you to eat meat can he!? Just don't eat it when its on your plate and let him yell all he wants to!. And certainly don't try to win an argument with him when you know he won't give in!. My dad did the same thing to me, and when I stopped fighting him on the subject, a few years later, the deer hunting king of the stuborns started saying I was right!. I'm not saying that will happen, but it doesn't matter!. Its your body, so eat what you want, and if he punishes you, just take the punishmet, unless its hitting, and that should be reported to a teacher!. They will have to stop punishing you at some point!.

also don't yell back at them!. Stay above the foolish arguing, and just know that you are right, and millions of people agree with you!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Wow, that sucks!. I remember telling my parents that i wanted to be a veg!. I'm from a Mexican family and basically the only veg in the house so there's always tension when my diet is part of a conversation or something!. if i were u, i would just try to not get him any more pissed than what he is now!. Just be calm, passive and understanding!. I'm 14 and i've been a veg since Aug 08!. its hard but if you really gotta just lay low for now!. If he really wants u to eat just eat a little!. And try offering to make some veg meals and buy some veg products w/ your own money!. I hope that u and ur dad can work out this issue!. if possible seek some help from ur mom or siblings!. Do you know why he doesn't want yur being a veg!? Ask him (nicely) and see if you can find a solution to this issue!.

Good Luck lil veg!.Www@FoodAQ@Com





The consumer Foods information on foodaq.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007 FoodAQ - Terms of Use - Contact us - Privacy Policy

Food's Q&A Resources