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HOW DOES YOUR PARENTS/FAMILY FEEL ABOUT YOUR VEGANISM? The general consensus was that most parents were accepting and supportive of their child's choice. Some changed from their child or family member becoming vegan and some did not. Many parents thought their child's veganism was a 'phase' they were going through, only to discover that it was a life-commitment. Personally I find it ironic that people (family) learn to 'tolerate' vegans. We're not hurting anybody! We're helping, not hurting the environmental crisis, global warming, and the animal holocaust. It's the other way around. It's the vegan that must learn tolerance on his/her journey through a non-vegan world. The responses were varied from complete non-acceptance to total acceptance. Here is a selection of survey responses to the question: HOW DOES YOUR PARENTS/FAMILY FEEL ABOUT YOUR VEGANISM? HAS THAT CHANGED OVER TIME? "...Neither of my parents grasps the social justice aspect or the non-violence aspect enough to change their lives." "At first mum wanted to know the whole 'Where are you going to get your iron and protein from?' I have cooked some really awesome meals for my parents, and I think they are in some ways proud of me for feeling so strongly about something. I'm 21, my parents are over 50, and they have spent their whole lives not bothering to learn about where their food comes from and the health benefits from eating a non-animal diet. I guess they have to look up to me in some ways because I know about these things." "They think it is weird and uncalled for. They haven't changed, but I have." "After an all-vegan wedding reception, everyone in my family is very accepting because they realised it's not a strange alien way of life!" "They were concerned about it at first. But I've educated them on the misconceptions which have been promoted by society/media/government agencies (funded by meat & dairy industries), enlighten them of their own hypocrisies, and relieve them of the ignorance associated with veganism. They now respect and admire the intelligence it takes to think for oneself, the courage to stray from the beaten path, the insight to choose the right road, and the strength to often walk it alone. That is veganism." "Most of them accept and 'tolerate' but do not embrace." "My parents did not wish for me to become vegan. They believe it is unnecessary and unhealthy. I have tried to explain to them everything that I know about it in the hope of changing them, but they do not listen to me. It is frustrating but I live in hope of one day opening their eyes to the vegan way." "They say nothing because I have lost 70 pounds and that they can't argue with." "Supportive. Mother was initially frustrated as she didn't know what to cook for me. However after exposure to animal rights issues over the years, she has become vegetarian." "At first, they thought I was crazy, but after dropping 200 pounds they are starting to see that maybe it's a healthier lifestyle. Also my blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides have plummeted!" "My parents thought I was insane when I became lacto-ovo vegetarian in 1972. My son, however, forced my parents to become vegan - so how they feel about it is irrelevant." "My family thinks I'm on an extremist, but I believe they have some respect for my cruelty-free lifestyle." "My kids accept my choice and all four have cut down on their meat and dairy consumption, but only one is a vegetarian. Their views changed when I asked them to watch a couple of educational DVD's (Eating-2nd Edition Plus and Earthlings). The rest of my family think there's something wrong with me and I've pretty much given up trying to convince them otherwise. They don't want to hear it and they refuse to watch or read anything that I ask them to. Instead I try to cook great vegan meals for them occasionally and answer the rare question." "My mother is respectful and understands the cruelty issues but is unwilling to become vegetarian or vegan herself. My adult daughter also understands the issues and is mostly vegetarian. My adult son thinks 'they're just dumb animals' and believes being vegan is stupid. Their positions have been consistent over time." "My son introduced me to veganism. None of the rest of my family has changed." "Everyone is on board. My children are vegan as well. I think my folks thought it was too extreme for my children, however, over time, they have learned to accept it. They think, 'what's a little egg white here and there...' 'what's the big deal?!'" "My parents disapprove and used to hope I would grow out of it, but have given up on that now. They feel sorry for my children who are happy being brought up vegan." "My family is proud of me and several of them have attempted a vegan diet, with varying degrees of success, mostly ending up vegetarian." "They've always been very accepting of it. At the beginning, there was some confusion as to what I would use as far as products that aren't tested on animals or such, but they're familiar with entirely vegan brands now." "I was always respected and even admired, in part, because I'm the most intellectual of the close family." "My family supports me in my choice, but glaze over when I attempt to enlighten them to the health and environmental side of their choices." "They are always concerned about my health... They respect my decision but they always ask me to respect theirs as well. When we get into conversations about veganism and it's relation with health...they always agree with me. They know I'm right and that this is the best choice...but they are not willing to change...they are living in a comfort zone and they are probably afraid of changing...if they only knew..." "My father has been very judgmental and views it with great suspicion, seeing it as a 'satanistic' and anti-Christian decision. He feels it is attached to the taking on of a religion other than Christianity. I am secular and the decision was unrelated to any specific dogma other than a general belief in compassion...It was not discussed by my partner and myself for a great length of time. I believe it was difficult for both of us; he felt implicitly judged by my decision (as strangers often do). It took a long time for us to discuss it... As a result of my veganism, in the last year he has become vegetarian, which I see as a great advancement. He eats vegan with me 90% of the time anyway, and more importantly I am now free to talk about it at will as it is an intrinsic part of my being." "They think I am marginal in my thinking anyway and so no big surprise when after 25 years of being vegetarian, I announced it was vegan time. My mother tries to convince me that dairy is okay and would make my life easier. 'It is not about me mom!'" "My mother and uncle first thought it was a phase I was going through when I stopped eating animals in 1961. My husband and daughter are vegan, my son, grand-daughter and great-grand daughter are vegetarian. My family likes to come to my house and eat vegan food - even the ones who are not vegan." "Soon as they moan, I'll show them some footage of factory farms, or slaughter; that usually does the trick! Then they say 'Oh, well, we really don't eat much meat anyway...' I hear the same old thing from most people, most of the time!" "It's always awkward. I come from a hunting and fishing family. For years, my family would literally 'forget' I was a vegetarian/vegan. For example, I would arrive at a family get-together, and I would be greeted with 'Oh, geesh. I forgot! I don't think we have anything you can eat!' It's gotten a bit better in recent years, especially with my father, who has gone out of his way, on certain occasions, to make sure I have something substantial to eat. I've been vegetarian twelve years and vegan fourteen years, and it has taken this long for my family to begin to transition to some form of acceptance. (My mother, who died several years ago, acknowledged that I was vegan and would make an effort to prepare something for me at family meals. However, initially, she was really upset. She cried when I first told her that I was a vegan. I believe she continued to be upset, but she knew me well enough to know that my mind wasn't to be changed on this and let it be." "My father thinks I am a member of a sect, some sort of people who practice voo-doo. Mum tolerates it, although she does not fully understand and thinks it is not right." "Despite my gentle education, they are still skeptical to believe that veganism is nutritionally sound. And I am a librarian-in-training, so believe me: I give them authoritative sources." "They are o.k. and supportive. My son is not vegetarian yet, but he helps me translating 'Earthlings' to Indonesian, so that I can use it easier during my presentations." "My parents read 'The China Study', so they get the health part. We don't really talk about the animal/spirituality part." "My mother was vegetarian for 10 years before I became vegan, and recently she decided to become vegan too (after she saw Earthlings)." "They have always wanted me to be vegan." "Most of my family is vegan and we all went vegan around the same time, so all is good." "My parents disapprove, but then they're violent and unloving anyway, so it's to be expected. I don't have any contact with them now, which has turned out to be a much more positive decision than I expected." "Finally, they accept and embrace it. Some are gradually evolving towards veganism and telling me they finally 'get it'." "My parents accept it and provide good food. They have become more accepting as our 3 sons (vegan since birth) have grown up to be fit, tall, and healthy." "They all are vegan." "My parents have always been supportive of my vegetarianism, so veganism is a natural progression for me to commit to my strong beliefs about animal rights and the environment. Therefore my family and friends are supportive and consider my veganism, natural." "They thought I was a 'hippie' and would eventually get over the 'phase'. My parents ceased their cattle business and now eat less meat and rescue many wild animals rather than shoot them as once was the normal practice." "It's tolerated. Much friction in my marriage." "My parents are retired farmers from Minnesota. They raised cattle to slaughter. They think I'm insane." "Fine. They understand why I want to reduce my own ecological footprint." "My parents dislike my being vegan, simply because it means I am constantly challenging them about their ethics and choices. They sometimes say to me, 'Can't you just be normal?' to which I reply, 'I'd rather be regarded as a freak than be cruel and ignorant.' They long for a daughter than accepts what society tells her she should accept, one that will sit down, shut up, and eat what they put on her plate; a daughter they shall indeed, never have in me." "Most are supportive; my father thinks I'm a 'militant vegan'. If spreading the truth amidst lies is militant, then he's right." "Veganism, what's that?" "We have a medical doctor in our family who knew the benefits of a vegan diet." "Most of my immediate family is vegan...the ones who aren't, know why we are and understand that it is to be taken seriously." "I am blessed. I have two daughters; one is a vegetarian and the other and her husband, son and daughter are all vegans, and so is my 87 year old mom! They have all been very open to veganism." "My parents both understand that it is much better for my health and they gladly eat vegan with me when I cook them a meal. They have never opposed the idea or been openly critical. They have never asked me questions like 'where will you get your protein?'. I think they assumed it was a phase for me, at first, but as they realized how serious I was about it, they understood it was a lifelong commitment. My father is nearly vegetarian, for health reasons, but he doesn't care about animals at all. My mother loves animals but continues to eat them daily." "...Now they merely tolerate it ONLY because of the wonderful reversals in my husband's heart disease. All my family is obese and the older people have heart troubles, but they wouldn't dream of becoming vegan. It's too radical, they say. In their opinion, it's far less 'radical' to take a ton of meds, many with uncomfortable side-effects." "This has changed over time. When I first went vegan they were concerned about my health and believed the myths so many of us have been taught in regards to the necessity of animal flesh/byproducts in our diets to meet certain nutritional needs (protein/calcium, etc.). Stemming from this, they began reading about veganism (starting with a book by an ex-cattle rancher-now-vegan, named Howard Lyman, called MAD COWBOY). About four years of discussion and reading later, my brother, mother and father became vegan, and my grandparents became vegetarian. All have been ever since, and our Thanksgivings are amazing and cruelty-free!" |