Veganism through David's eyes

This was a conversation that we had earlier.

(TV was on-- people were eating spaghetti and meatballs)

DAVID: Mom, what are they eating?

ME: Spaghetti, David.

DAVID: Yeah, what's on the spaghetti?

ME: Meatballs.

DAVID: When will we eat meatballs?

ME: We don't eat meat, remember hun?

DAVID: Oh, yeah. But grandma and grandpa don't have any pets, so they eat meat still.


Okay, back-story-- when we first cut meat out at the first of the year, David was indifferent, but asked why. We explained to him that (most) meat comes from animals that were treated very, very badly during their lives, and that they weren't put on Earth for us to eat. David, looking quizzical, said "Warrior is an animal." And I said "Yes, that's right, hun. We love Warrior. Would we ever hurt him?" David said "No, of course not." So I asked him (yes, yes, it's a weird question, but it put it in perspective for a four year-old) "We wouldn't eat Warrior or any other pets, would we? Just because they're animals, they're not meant to be hurt or eaten." And he agreed wholeheartedly.

So, today, when he said that grandma and grandpa don't have pets, and that must be why they still eat meat, I laughed really hard. I love how little kids think of things! (For the record, I explained to him that eating it is a personal choice, and that he can make that choice when he's out of our house/paying for his own food/etc.)