Would This Offend You?

[vegemamato]

The other night we were having dinner with a friend's 6yr-old dss (from my other post).. the kids were eating together while I was picking up toys in the room next to them, quietly listening to them talk (which is always hilarious, btw!) and this is what I heard: (K-dd8, P- friend's dss6)

K: you eat chicken, right?
P: yeah! I like chicken!
silence
K: when you're done eating it, do you chew on the bone like a dog? (serious, not joking)
P: no...
K: I would if I were you..



I thought this was awesome, as did my friend! Unfortunetely though, the dad didn't quite agree

would that conversation -as random as it was- offend you?

*disclaimer*
K is a very thoughtful child- she went vegan before me 4 yrs ago for her own reasons.. she never intends to make insensitive comments about meat, and although she would love it if the world were vegan, she is very accepting of others' choices. My friend is also vegetarian, and their whole family has been eating that way for a week (so the dad says )..

Thanks!

[Lynn08]

I don't get it - what's offensive there? I thought it was cute.

Why was dad upset?

[Green Eyes]

The conversation was cute, and funny. I'm wondering how the dad could possibly have a problem with this? Seriously, how can a person be offended by what two kids say to each other... it wasn't even directed at the dad.

[earthgirl]

I don't get it. I mean, what was he offended by specifically?

[phreedom]

What's offensive here? I don't get it. Was dad offended that the other kid seemed to be assuming his kid was like a dog? That's about all I can get from it and I'm really, really, really reaching for that.

Okay...I'm re reading it now. Your DD is vegan? And the other family is newly vegetarian. Maybe the dad was offended that your daughter seemed to be making fun of his daughter that eats meat? Likening her to a dog? Even then...he really needs to get over it.

[Storm Bride]

I have no idea why anybody would be offended by this. I'm seriously confused. It just sounds like a standard issue cute children's conversation to me.

[Phantaja]

Just a couple of kids having a wierd conversation. Lots of kids have wierd conversations. Am I missing something?

[vegemamato]

see... exactly! I don't get it either.. the dog comparison is as close as I can get to a reason for this to be offensive. I don't think that the dad/son wanted to be vegetarian but my friend (who feeds everyone) won't cook meat anymore, so I guess they're not eating it.

I think the dad's just an @** though, looking for a reason to whine..

(on a side note, the kids spent 40 min on a bus talking too- all about who they know at their schools and the different nicknames they have for said kids.. I was impressed, and lmao, but the older gentleman next to them was *really* annoyed, He kept looking over, all rolling his eyes and clearing his throat.. Luckily he didn't say anything )

[MonAmiBella]

While I'm sure it wasn't the intended result, it comes across as sounding a bit condescending and rude. Equating meat eating to that of an animal, I can see how it wouldn't come across well.

My kids may have questions about vegetarians and vegans, but I make sure that it comes across respectfully, we are not to belittle people because we don't understand the choices they've made in any aspect of their lives. I would certainly be unhappy if they equated vegetarian/vegan to that of a woodland creature and stated it as such to someone.

[Alyantavid]

I don't get why that would be offensive either?

[Lisa1970]

LOL..I think that convo is sooo cute.

You should hear some of the conversations around our house lately.

[Lisa1970]

Considering so many young children would like to BE dogs and love dogs, I don't think a dog reference is a negative thing at all.

[vegemamato]

Originally Posted by MonAmiBella

While I'm sure it was the intended result, it comes across as sounding a bit condescending and rude. Equating meat eating to that of an animal, I can see how it wouldn't come across well.

My kids may have questions about vegetarians and vegans, but I make sure that it comes across respectfully, we are not to belittle people because we don't understand the choices they've made in any aspect of their lives. I would certainly be unhappy if they equated vegetarian/vegan to that of a woodland creature and stated it as such to someone.

My kids would probably take it as a compliment

we do talk a lot about how we're animals too, and we compare how we live to many of our furry friends (they call themselves 'leaf-eaters' and 'herbivores' quite often).

the little boy also has no issue asking us all kinds of weird questions (and frequently stating that he "hates ALL vegan food" ).. the dad's never minded those comments..

I do understand how some people might not like that though, I guess. I dunno, maybe it's because I do see us as animals and I, honestly, kind of see gnawing on an animal bone to be pretty animal-like, which people do when they eat [not cut] meat (please don't flame too hard, tried to phrase that as nicely as I could)..

I do appreciate your post though.. it did help a lot..

eta: I see munching greens to be pretty animal-like too.. so...

[LavenderMae]

Since all my kids have loved pretending to be other animals including dogs that's where I went, if my older two ate meat I can see them doing just that actually. I don't see how it's offensive.

[momtokea]

I don't see anything offensive in it.
Theoretically, I'm a grown-up. I usually don't take offense by something that an 8yo and 6yo have said

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by MonAmiBella

While I'm sure it wasn't the intended result, it comes across as sounding a bit condescending and rude. Equating meat eating to that of an animal, I can see how it wouldn't come across well.

Interesting. I'm a meat eater. My whole family are meat eaters. I honestly can't imagine being offended by a conversation like this between two kids.

[harmonyhobbit]

I don't see anything wrong with it. I'd love to follow her line of thinking a bit further. I'm sure there is a fascinating observation behind it.
I'm veg, my kids are flex and my dh eats meat. We all live peacefully together. My dad used to call me a rabbit when I was growing up, and I also liked the analogy.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by harmonyhobbit

I don't see anything wrong with it. I'd love to follow her line of thinking a bit further. I'm sure there is a fascinating observation behind it.

:
Exactly. The "I would if I were you" part of it particularly intrigues me.

[Alyantavid]

Equating meat eating to that of an animal, I can see how it wouldn't come across well.

Alot of animals are meat eaters. I seriously don't see the problem. I highly doubt she was trying to insult someone by that comment.

[Tigerchild]

Hmmm.

While I agree that it doesn't sounds like your kid meant anything by it...

I am not so sure that in the dad's home that he isn't being lectured about eating habits. It doesn't sound as if he is all that pleased at being suddenly in a "vegetarian" home.

When people feel put upon they often become hypersensitive about that subject.

And frankly, new converts to ANYTHING (eating styles, parenting styles, religion, politics, whatever) can be so freakin' obnoxious when they first start out.

Perhaps he's been on the receiving end of a lot of stuff at home, and that was just the last straw.

So I would cut the dad some slack, unless he was directly rude to your daughter or something.

There was a time in my life when I had a well meaning favorite relative CONSTANTLY badgering me about religion. Not in a mean way, but constantly saying how it was better, how she worried about my spiritual health, always sending me articles, books, ect...well, in the middle of that I stumbled upon a really innocent discussion between my daughter and one of her friends, and had to leave the room to go cry into my pillow for awhile. I was so sensitive to what I felt was constant badgering and belittling of my choices, to hear similar words (even though they were not in the tone or intention) come out of yet another person was just...something that cut.

So espcially with people new to the lifestyle, especially if it wasn't particularly their first choice...I'd cut them some slack too.