Raising A Vegan Family Is So Much More Than What You Put On Your Plate
When my husband and I decided to adopt a vegan lifestyle, it was a natural decision that our children would be raised the same way. When they are older, they will make any lifestyle choice they want, but for now our little lamb and any other children we have will be raised vegan. So what does that mean exactly?
For our family, being vegan goes way beyond what is on our plate at mealtime. It is both a healthy lifestyle choice and an ethical choice for us. Our love for animals goes far beyond our dog and cats, which is why I do not eat or use animal products. But, unless you were vegan from day one in your life, this also means you need to make adjustments to your lifestyle.
Clothes & Accessories
Deciding to live an ethical vegan lifestyle meant going through clothing, shoes, belts, bags, and other accessories to make sure we were not wearing or using leather, suede, or any other animal based products. What we mainly found were shoes and belts made of leather, as neither of us have ever been big on purchasing animal based clothing and products. Even our little lamb had shoes that were graciously given to us that were made of leather. As much as I no longer support buying and using these products, I also do not see the point in wasting what I already have, so we donated these items to charities that will distribute them to those in need.
Children’s Books
Okay, this may sound extreme, but there were a lot of children’s books in my little lambs’ collection that we donated due to the non-vegan content. What do I mean by that you may ask? We donated books that had animals at cages in zoos, or had a cow standing next to a milking stool and bucket. Anything that supported the idea that animals are meant to be eaten or caged got boxed and donated. What we have left over are too many books to count that have animals as the silly main characters, books that teach shapes and colors, and books with mermaids, fruits, vegetables, and fairies.
Entertainment
I remember going to the zoo as a child and feeling depressed instead of happy. All of the animals looked so miserable to me, and many looked sick. So, we will not be taking family trips to the zoo, or dairy farms, or aquariums. We will not be taking pony rides at the county fair or going to petting zoos. What we will do, is visit farm sanctuaries in our area, feed the ducks at the pond, support animal sanctuaries, smelling the roses at our local arboretums, and taking hikes at our local parks to admire the wildlife there.
Veganizing our home and life has not been a perfect transition. We found out our favorite soft pretzels had whey protein in them after we ate them. There is probably something made of leather still lurking in our house in a storage box somewhere. Our children may be invited to a birthday party that has a petting zoo. We will continue to puzzle over life’s great questions too. Should we still patronize our local county fair even though they show off dairy cows and sheep from local farms? Should I have spared the mosquito that was trying to drink my baby’s blood? Were those fries cooked in the same oil as the chicken? What about the medicinal benefits in honey? There are bound to be hiccups and dilemmas that you will face as both an individual and as a family when you are living life as a vegan. For us, the important thing is that we live each day with the best intention. We raise our family and live each day compassionately, ethically, and with love.
Love, Laughter, & Light,
