How do I tell my parents I want to be vegetarian?!

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Once they serve you might start crying hysterically and tell htem that this is an abomination!!

Do you have a pet?? Tell them that if you wouldn't kill them, stir them up and eat them with mash and garlic sauce why do it with a cow or a pig!

You say, "Mom and dad I'm becoming a vegetarian." Simple as that.

vegan :D

If it's really what you want to do, then just do it! You're their daughter, and they will love you whether you eat meat or not. :) When I was 10, I decided I wanted to be a vegetarian, and my parents (like most) just assumed it was a phase, but 10 years later, I'm still not eating meat. And my family LOVES meat. haha. So i know it will be difficult at first, they will soon accept it and see that this is something you're passionate about.
Hope this helps!

Order yourself a salad or any substitute dish at the restaurant. Simple as that. Start eating around your meat for example they made rice and chicken just eat the rice and replace the chicken with fruits and veggies. Oh and by the way PETA is a Horrid organization just horrible! Did you know that they kill 97% of their animals they get each year because they rather kill them than waist money on them...also they get a late sum of money each year for their budget but they spend it more on getting stupid celebrities to do campaingn adds. Have you ever seen those adds of those celebrities that rather go naked then wear fur. It's just stupid in my opinion that they rather spend the money on paying celebrities to do their campaigns...so before you become a vegetarian make sure you have a real valid good reason, not just PETA...also I suggest you do your research on PETA you'd be surprise on what you'll find of that horrid organization.

Me

I understand the fear of asking/telling your parents about this sort of things, I get that way often. My dad is a huge health nut and often I get really nervous to ask him if I can have some ice cream or something because I am worried he will make some crude comment about me and ice cream, you get the idea. Once I work up the nerve I find out I was just being ridiculous because I end up ask him and he's like "Yeah, sure I don't care." Sometimes the hardest part of telling your parents something is thinking of all the outcomes when it's really only half as bad as your brain pictures it. What I'm saying is, just come out and tell them. Don't worry about it, what's the worse they can do? Force you to eat meat? I doubt they'll do that. JUST GET IT OVER WITH! You'll feel a million times better after wards. But you have to remember the costs and benefits of being a vegetarian, too and I strongly advise discussing this with someone who knows a lot about being a vegetarian. You still need to get protein some way. Sorry this is so long. Hope I helped.

Okay, this is tricky. I went through this many years ago but, as they say, the more things change the more they stay the same.

Parents often don't understand when their child wants t become vegetarian. Here is what I recommend. Do you research. Learn all you can about the health benefits, how the animals are abused that are raised for meat production, the harmful effects meat production has on the environment...learn the facts. Then, hard as it may be tell your parents you need to talk with them.

You need to explain how your are feeling in a very caring way. Let them learn what you are thinking and feeling. Explain that you have no intentions of trying to change their eating habits. You respect their food choices and you want them to respect theirs.
Let them ask questions and voice concerns. Kindly respond with the information you have learned. If they have a questions or concern you don't have an answer for, write it down and tell them you will get back to the - and make sure you research it and do get back to them quickly.

Offer to cook once a week so they can see that your choices are tasty and healthy.

Basically, you have to explain your thinking and let them know you respect their choice to eat meat and all you want is for them to respect your choice not to eat meat.

good luck.

Here are some sites with lots of wonderful info on health, animal and environmental benefits of being vegetarian/vegan.

http://www.farmsanctuary.org/
http://www.pcrm.org/
http://www.earthsave.org/

Tell them you've decided that you'd like to become vegetarian because you don't feel comfortable eating something that was alive once. Don't say it viciously, say you respect their choice but you just don't want to eat meat any more. Also don't tell them about the DVD, they'll say it's just the influence of stupid people or something like that. Say it's a personal choice and you hope they won't criticize you. Maybe suggest a different restaurant to go to.

Here it is, stop eating it .

You know like first you got to convince them that you don't want to eat meat , and then try to ignore meat, don't stalk it or something like it's your worst enemy .
Then ask them in a couple of days or weeks if they have seen any differences with you, then tell them the story about you watching the DVD and then say you want to be a vegetarian.
It's your life and you can do what you want to .
But there could be a catch or a positive vibe . The catch is that they would look at you deep in the eyes and scream "Huh?" and then the situation would just be embarrassing or they could say
" Okay, if you don't like meat were okay with that. (Probably not gonna happen)
Anyways .
Good luck !

-Dr.Phil

adelphia

Good for you for trying out not eating meat., sounds like your up against some tricky anti-vegetarian parents. The best thing to do is just tell them seriously. if they start to get angry offer to help with cooking vegetarian meals. Check out some books about teen vegetarianism from the library to educate yourself and parents. if they still don't comply you could go on a hunger strike and refuse to eat until your vegetarianism is accepted, but that just might make things worse. If your parents really aren't going to let you then don;t do it. Wait until you go to collage, or leave the house.

Good luck! And feel free to contact me if you want any extra vegetarian help

I was exactly like you when I first wanted to go vegetarian. It's really just something that you have to do and get it over with. My parents are just like yours. We're close, but not the type of family that "sits down and has a talk".
Part of being a teenager and growing up is realizing how you're different than your family. You're different in this way. Your for animal rights and leaning towards a more natural-diet, while your family loves hunting. It's not unusual to break away from your parents and turn out as a completely different person when you're older.
I'd come up with some legitimate reasons to become a vegetarian. There are many, many good reasons out there. Ethical, health, and environmental reasons are just a few. Did you know the average vegetarian saves 100 animals per year? A vegetarian can live YEARS longer than a meat-eater as long as they're following a proper diet. There are so many facts out there that support vegetarianism and show that it's the right thing to do. Just make sure you can back up your opinion.
Part of being a vegetarian is becoming independent. After a while you really won't care about what others think about you, since you know you're doing the right thing. What your family thinks about your diet will soon be the last thing on your mind.
Hope that helped:)

Hi There!

I'm 20 years old and PROUD to be Vegetarian! Coming from personal experience, when I was younger, I wanted to be a Vegetarian. Now coming from a HUGE meat eating family as well, I KNOW how hard it can be. Your old enough to know what you want in life. At first, I was very nervous about telling my parents that I wanted to be a Vegetarian. And you know what I did? I told them. Of course they laughed but in the end, they knew I was serious about it. Now, they don't make a big deal about it. And you know what? Seriously speaking, you are their daughter, their baby girl. What's more important is your happiness. I know for a fact that your parents would rather see you happy than feel sad.

So my advice to you: Tell your Dad first, since he's more open. I'm pretty sure your Dad will be supportive of you every step of the way. My Dad is the same as well. He eats meat like a little kid eats Candy! haha. I told my Dad first that I wanted to go Vegetarian. And he told me these words I will never forget, "Honey, I'll be there for you. You have my support". I was so happy. Tell your Dad first, then when you feel like your ready, Tell your Mom and others in your family. They make jokes about it at first, but in the end, they know you really mean it. So Go Ahead And Tell Them! It's your Life, your Happiness.

And.....Happy Birthday!

Here are some resources, I'm sure you'll like

http://www.vegweb.com/ ~This site is full of Recipes

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/ ~You can order a Free Vegetarian Starter Kit, The MDs there are Vegetarians and Vegans themselves

I totally admire you for making this decision. Not many people have the guts. My entire family is vegetarian, but I'll tell you what I'd do.
If your family eats at McDonald's or Burger King, this is easy. Start by pointing out how unhealthy it is, and tell them that it's healthier to be vegetarian. Let them know that you've been thinking about this; you're not jumping to conclusions, and show them the DVD. Let them know that you want to be vegetarian, and you respect them if they don't approve, but you'll stick to your decision even if you have to cook your own food. Tell them it's not that big of a deal, and though it'll be hard, try not to use the infamous line: "It's MY life!". That always ticks people off.
Good luck!