Rants and Raves 49 - Raising a Vegan Child

[Guest guest]

I must admit this really touches my heart

 

Craig RANTS AND RAVES49 - Raising a Vegan ChildBeing different isn't easy in this world.It's so much easier to follow the norms of our culture than to strikeout on your own. It's easier to be mainstream than to challengeauthority, question the status quo, and search for who you really areand who you really want to be.Now, as a parent for the first time, I find myself challenging thestatus quo more and more. You see, I want the best for my little sonDragon. I want him to have the healthiest diet, the safest food, thecleanest air. I want him to grow up in a world where he can gobushwalking and drink safely from the creeks and rivers he finds onhis path. I want him to grow up in a world where he doesn't have to goto a zoo to see wild animals.I want him to enjoy all the wonderful things about this planet, and Iwant him to live a long and happy life. I used to think, before I hada baby, that I would be more concerned about his prosperity than hishealth. Now I know that its the other way around - I want him to behealthy. Whether he's wealthy or not doesn't really matter. I don'tcare if he never drives the latest car or wears the latest clothes.Instead, what I care about is that he can have clean water, fresh air,and a healthy body.Trouble is, everywhere I look I see sick people and a sick planet. Isee kids with asthma struggling to catch their breath. I see familymembers suffering from arthritis and taking drugs and yet more drugsin the belief that they will find a cure. I see heart disease andcancer everywhere I look.The most frustrating thing of all is that I know there is a simmplecure for all these problems: a whole foods, plant-based diet. Itprevents cancer. It cures heart disease, even in advanced stages. Itcan cure arthritis, asthma, ezcema, multiple schlerosis, lupus. Thelist goes on.I am raising my son on just such a diet - a whole food, plant-baseddiet - for the simple reason that I want him to be healthy. Yet somany people are challenging my choice, and arguing against this decision.My parents say my son will be deprived and singled out if he doesn'teat ice-cream. Friends say that its not safe and that Dragon will getsick if I raise him vegan. Well-meaning members of the public arguethat we need meat to survive, and that a vegan diet is unsuitable forbabies and children.The evidence directly in front of me suggests otherwise. Dragon isthriving. He is the tallest baby at his playgroup, by severalcentimetres already. He has those roly-poly thighs that are so cute totickle. He's so obviously bright and healthy that I can't question thecorrectness of my decision.I know that all these people who question the vegan diet have Dragon'sbest interests at heart. They really do. But they're ignorant. They'vealways eaten a heavily meat-based diet, so Dragon's diet is an affrontto their own way of life. Dragon's diet is a challenge to them. Achallenge to the status quo.It's sad when you don't trust your own parents, but I'm now faced withthat situation. You see, my parents live in another city, and I wouldhave liked Dragon to go stay with them for a few days at a time, whenhe's older. But I simply can't trust my parents to stick to his vegandiet. As soon as my back is turned, I suspect they would be feedinghim ice-cream, cheese, milk, margarine and butter laced foods, cakesand biscuits.It may come as no surprise to you that my parents are both obese.I want something better for Dragon. I want him to have the health thatbeing vegan has given me. My parents both have high cholesterol andwill probably both die before their time from heart disease, if cancerdoesn't get them first. I don't want that future for my son.Not only do I want a healthy diet for my son, but I also want ahealthy planet for him to live in, and the two are inextricablylinked. Healthy, organic, vegan diets is tied to sustainableagriculture. There are no pesticides involved. Fewer transportationcosts to the environment are involved, as most vegan organic food isgrown locally. Growing organic plants and veggies does far less damageto the environment. And a plant-based diet not only involves noanimals suffering, but it uses fewer resources overall.My decision to raise Dragon as a vegan is responsible and well thoughtout. I can rest easy at night, knowing that I am giving my baby boythe best start in life that I can give him. As he grows, I can teachhim the interconnectedness of all things, and I can teach him to be aresponsible steward of this beautiful, shining planet. And that makesme smile.April 13, 2005--http://www.veganforlife.org--