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Dealing with in-laws and the vegan diet with regards to your children

by Paisley Andersson | September 22, 2018

Dealing with in-laws can either be the biggest blessing or quite the burden. In any case, their opinions can have an impact on our children so I ask that they keep options that conflict with my morals to be kept to themselves.

I expect to be respected when it comes to how I want to raise our children. I do most things differently than they did when raising my husband, and than my parents did when raising me. But, I always like to remind them, and my husband, that the whole point in having different generations, is so that we can evolve. So that we can DO BETTER. When I say this to my mother she is very proud, and she loves all the new things she has learned since I became a mother and she has got to see how I do things. But dealing with in-laws is a different story.

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My mother-in-law takes this differently. She finds it insulting as if I am insinuating that she didn’t do a good enough job. This is of course not my meaning. We know more than previous generations, and the information is at our fingertips whenever we choose to look for it. Of course, we will do things differently when we know better.

My hope is that we are all doing the very best we can when it comes to raising our babies. People who have taken the time to research, to follow their heart, and to choose veganism as the way to live are setting their children up to be kind, compassionate, and healthy adults. Who wouldn’t support this!?

In our house, I tend to have my husband do the confronting when it comes to dealing with in-laws, and I do the same for my family. This seems only fair as well, as we have agreed to raise our children this way, and he can stand up for it just as much as I can. They also tend to respond to him with much more respect and calm. The funny thing is is that he isn’t vegan himself. He does however agree that it is the best way to raise our children and maintains a vegan diet around the kids. I think this sets a good example for his family as well. They see that he doesn’t follow it to 100% , but feels passionately enough about it being right for the children that he will set at good example. They can too!

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Some people need facts to comfort them as well. Let them see how your children are thriving. Let them see when your kids eat vegetables they have never seen a kid happily eat before. When they question protein show them charts that show how much protein is in lentils, beans, etc when compared to meat. (Most people I know love a good chart!)

Respect is necessary for any functioning relationship, and they have to be able to show you and your babies that or it is not a relationship that is bringing anything positive to the table. At the end of the day, everyone can have their own opinion. As long as they don’t share conflicting ones with or around your children then it is fair enough to say they are showing respect.

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What tricks do you have for dealing with in-laws? Let us know in the comments below.

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