Let’s face it: most children’s stories and programming center around animals. These forms of entertainment bring animals to life, showing them with families and friends of their own, as a way to connect with children. It should come as no surprise, then, that many children are startled when they learn of the connection between the chicken in their storybook and the dinner being served.
Some children may just be amazed, but not necessarily upset by the connection. Others grapple with the idea, though, and might decide to swear off meat once they make the association. So it’s often helpful to approach this conversation carefully.
If Baby hasn’t yet asked about the origin of the meat on their plate, you may decide to leave it alone for now, and save the conversation until they start to get curious. However, when the time comes, being prepared can help to keep you from falling into an uncomfortable conversation where you’re not sure what to say. Many children are very sensitive, and while honesty is the best policy, take your child’s personality into consideration before responding to them.
One good way to start the conversation is to begin by emphasizing the importance of a balanced diet, and let them know that meat is one of the main ways many people get certain nutrients. If meat is a major part of the balance in your family’s diet, tell them that. You may choose to tell them you and your family eat many things from the world around you, and show them how you pick an apple off a tree, or even plant a small vegetable garden to convey the fact that food comes from nature.
It’s common for young children to feel guilty about eating animals, but it can be helpful to remind them that other creatures eat what’s around them, too. Tell Baby that sharks eat fish in the ocean, for example, and that they couldn’t survive if they didn’t. This may ease some of their conscience by helping them realize they are not alone in eating animals.
Some toddlers and young children do choose to give up eating meat, either for a little while or for a more significant amount of time, and if Baby decides that’s the best way for them to handle this new information, it’s important to make sure they understand that they need to get the protein their growing body requires from other sources.
Adjusting the conversation to your family
The way in which you approach the subject will largely depend on your family’s values and lifestyle. If Baby is growing up in a family of hunters, or an area where hunting is common, you may feel more prepared for the conversation, and may be asked it at an earlier age, although it’s important to keep the conversation age-appropriate in order to avoid causing fear. For children who grow up on farms, it may be commonplace for animals to be raised for food, and may be a fact your child grows up knowing, without ever needing to have it explained in a specific conversation.
On the other hand, if your family doesn’t eat meat, or one member of your family doesn’t, they may end up asking the question sooner (if they are offered meat at a friend or family member’s home) or later (if they doesn’t encounter it much at all). Of course, the most important thing is to ensure they are eating a balanced diet, and that all of their nutritional needs are being met, but it can also be a great time to open up the conversation about your family’s values, and the way different families live in different ways.
Some conversations are trickier than others, and one generally tends to fall into that category. Keeping your explanations age-appropriate — which generally means keeping them short, easy to follow, and related to things Baby knows and understands — can be most helpful. For example, you may need to explain, in simple and straightforward fashion, that your family pet isn’t at risk of ending up on the dinner table. If you speak to your little one in this way, odds are they will end up dealing with the idea fairly calmly.
Hebu tukabiliane na hilo: hadithi nyingi za watoto na programu huzunguka wanyama. Aina hizi za burudani huleta wanyama kwenye maisha, kuwaonyesha na familia na marafiki wao wenyewe, kama njia ya kuungana na watoto. Haishangazi kwamba watoto wengi wanashangaa wanapogundua kwamba kuna uhusiano kati ya kuku katika kitabu cha hadithi na chakula cha jioni. Huenda watoto fulani wakashangazwa tu, lakini si lazima waudhike na uhusiano huo. Hata hivyo, wengine wanashindwa kukubali wazo hilo na huenda wakaamua kuacha kula nyama mara tu wanapokubaliana na wazo hilo. Kwa hiyo mara nyingi ni jambo la manufaa kuwasiliana kwa uangalifu katika mazungumzo hayo. Ikiwa mtoto bado hajauliza juu ya asili ya nyama kwenye sahani yake, unaweza kuamua kuiacha peke yake kwa sasa, na kuhifadhi mazungumzo hadi atakapokuwa na udadisi. Hata hivyo, wakati utakapofika, kuwa tayari kunaweza kukusaidia kuepuka kuanguka katika mazungumzo yasiyo ya kawaida ambapo hujui la kusema. Watoto wengi ni wenye hisia-mwenzi sana, na ingawa uaminifu ni sera bora, fikiria utu wa mtoto wako kabla ya kuwajibu. Njia nzuri ya kuanza mazungumzo ni kwa kuangazia umuhimu wa lishe yenye usawa, na kuwaambia kwamba nyama ni mojawapo ya njia kuu ambazo watu wengi hupata virutubisho fulani. Ikiwa nyama ni sehemu kubwa ya usawa katika mlo wa familia yako, waambie hivyo. Unaweza kuwaambia wewe na familia yako mnakula vitu vingi kutoka duniani kote, na kuwaonyesha jinsi unavyokamata mtofaa kutoka kwenye mti, au hata kupanda bustani ndogo ya mboga ili kuwasilisha ukweli kwamba chakula hutoka asili. Ni kawaida kwa watoto wadogo kuhisi hatia kwa kula wanyama, lakini inaweza kuwa na msaada kuwawakumbusha kwamba viumbe wengine hula kile kilicho karibu nao, pia. Mwambie mtoto kwamba papa hula samaki katika bahari, kwa mfano, na kwamba hawawezi kuishi kama hawakufanya hivyo. Hii inaweza kupunguza baadhi ya dhamiri zao kwa kuwasaidia kutambua wao si peke yao katika kula wanyama. Watoto wadogo huamua kuacha kula nyama kwa muda mfupi au kwa muda mrefu, na ikiwa mtoto anaamua kwamba hiyo ndiyo njia bora ya kushughulikia habari hii mpya, ni muhimu kuhakikisha wanaelewa kwamba wanahitaji kupata protini ambayo mwili wao unaokua unahitaji kutoka vyanzo vingine. Kujipatanisha na familia yako: Njia unayopendekeza itategemea sana viwango na mtindo wa maisha wa familia yako. Ikiwa mtoto anakua katika familia ya wawindaji, au eneo ambapo uwindaji ni wa kawaida, unaweza kuhisi tayari zaidi kwa mazungumzo, na unaweza kuulizwa kwa umri wa mapema, ingawa ni muhimu kuweka mazungumzo ya umri unaofaa ili kuepuka kusababisha hofu. Kwa watoto ambao hukua katika mashamba, inaweza kuwa kawaida kwa wanyama kulelewa kwa chakula, na inaweza kuwa ukweli mtoto wako hukua akijua, bila haja ya kueleza katika mazungumzo maalum. Kwa upande mwingine, ikiwa familia yako haila nyama, au mwanachama mmoja wa familia yako haila, wanaweza kuishia kuuliza swali hilo mapema (ikiwa wanapewa nyama nyumbani kwa rafiki au mwanachama wa familia) au baadaye (ikiwa hawapatani nayo sana). Bila shaka, jambo la muhimu zaidi ni kuhakikisha kwamba wanakula chakula cha kutosha na kwamba mahitaji yao yote ya lishe yanatimizwa, lakini pia inaweza kuwa wakati mzuri wa kuanzisha mazungumzo juu ya maadili ya familia yako na jinsi familia tofauti zinaishi kwa njia tofauti. Mazungumzo fulani ni magumu kuliko mengine, na kwa kawaida mtu huelekea kuanguka katika jamii hiyo. Kuendelea na maelezo yako yanayofaa umri - ambayo kwa ujumla inamaanisha kuyaweka mafupi, rahisi kufuata, na yanayohusiana na mambo ambayo Mtoto anajua na kuelewa - yaweza kuwa yenye kusaidia sana. Kwa mfano, huenda ukahitaji kueleza, kwa njia rahisi na ya moja kwa moja, kwamba mnyama-mwitu wa familia yako hayuko hatarini mwa kuishia kwenye meza ya chakula cha jioni. Ikiwa unamwambia mtoto wako kwa njia hii, kuna uwezekano kwamba hatimaye atachukua wazo hilo kwa utulivu.