Vegan Children!
Children should be taught how to take care of their bodies. They should learn about how good exercise is for them or how food affects their thinking. They need to learn about their minds and how they can control their thoughts.
Children often have to be encouraged to be healthy with praise and punishment until they have a full understanding of how it relates to their Christian walk and the benefits of health. However, as parents and teachers we should always be explaining why health is important and why each principle has a benefit of its own. As you pray and study with your children, God will start calling to them and they will start making health choices on their own because God is asking them to.
Some of the ways I've used to motivate my son are: stickers, charts, rewards, activities he enjoys (not hard to motivate a child to exercise if they like it), letting him help plan (choose foods or recipes for the meal), and some punishments too. How do I punish? Well it can be as simple as he goes without dinner if he is complaining about the good food on his plate. Or he misses out on visiting with a friend if he didn't get his bath done in time. I try to limit these because I don't want him to hate healthy principles, but there are times it is necessary to enforce how important they are.
What about dealing with going out? That is one of the biggest challenges for vegan families. Visiting Grandma, restaurants, stores, friends, they all seem to be offering something you'd prefer your child not to have. There are many different perspectives on this and I, of course, have mine own. I will try to be impartial as we look at the options so you can choose for your family. But whatever you decide it is important for your child to realize it is still a choice. God is not forcing you to not eat meat. He will not hate you or throw you out of His life. Too offend I have seen vegan families grown up and the children can't wait to eat cheese, ice cream, or have a burger. These children have been forced to do what mother says without being taught why and how much God loves them. Love honors God. So, what ever you decide on how strict to be when you are outside your home (or even inside your home), please be sure to educate your children as to why you eat and live the way you do from the point of view of choice and love.
There are basically three ways to deal with eating out (there are variations). Whatever you choose, do so with purpose, determination, and consistency. It is very important you are consist ant!!! With that said the three ways are: Eat the same as at home, Eat whatever is put in front of you, and Eat as at home, modified. Each one is pretty self explanatory, but let's look at the pros and cons of each.
Eat the same as at home, no exceptions. Well, this is the easiest to explain to your young children. This is how we eat, no exceptions. It is the easiest one to be consistent with and keeps things simple. The down side is you don't leave room for flexibility. Your diet is more important than family or friendship whether you admit to it or not. Now, if you are just barely following the Bible principles of diet, you probably should stick to this option. You will find lots to put on your plate at most places, just as Jesus did.
Eat whatever is put in front of you. The idea behind this is we are not to offend our brethren as mentioned in scripture. Of course it is wonderful you are putting others above your own needs, but there are limited to the effectiveness of such an action. It does not allow for an opportunity to witness to others. (Some people will even eat unclean meats so as not to offend or even because there is the possibility of starving without them. I can not say I agree with them, but I am not in the position to judge their motives.)
Eat as at home, modified. Well, this is the one we use but it is the hardest to explain and to keep consistent. This is the best option for those of you who are well advanced in the health message. Especially those who no longer eat veggie meats, or other refined foods. So, when do you allow what? It is important you decide this as a family in principle before you even leave the house. What will you allow? Some dairy, no dairy, a piece of cake at a birthday but not other times. If the choice is made before, it will be allot easier on everyone. You can explain to others, this far and no farther.
I hope you will sit down with your children and explain to them why you live the way you do, and what is expected of them when you travel outside the home.
God Bless your efforts.
If you would like a resource to teacher you children how to live healthy, please have a look at our NEW Health Course for Children, "My Health, My Body". It is designed for homeschoolers to use with assignments at the end of each chapter, but any child will benefit from it's use. Click here for details.
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