Vegan, zero waste moms?

Question

Hey people! So I’m reaching out asking for motherly advice. Before I got pregnant I was really dedicated to a vegan lifestyle, trying to be zero waste, minimalist.   I had this idea of how I wanted to raise my children vegan, use cloth diapers, have fair trade clothes, and hand me down toys. I feel like now I’m just getting all this talk from my dad and my mother in law saying I can’t do it. Cloth diapers are too much work, and If I raise my child vegan that they will resent me because other kids will be eating more interesting foods. Now I’ve just become so stressed out. I feel like no matter what I want for my kids I’ll end up giving into my parents. Any moms out there with similar experiences?

Answer

We have a pretty minimalist lifestyle and will be raising our kids vegan one day 🙂 my niece & nephew literally run on the same 3 fried dead animals (breaks my heart) I cant see how a diet full of healthy plant based foods could be considered less interesting! 🌿 
When they’re young I feel it’s easier to establish their palates to whole grains, fruits & veggies. My gyno is vegan and will refer us to a vegan midwife when we get pregnant! There are also Facebook groups you can join for vegan pregnancy and parenting. Also I follow plant based instagram moms! Ellen Fisher is a wealth of great info & inspiration.. she has ebooks too! 
It sounds kinda daunting to raise your children so differently than their peers but if you get involved I’m sure you will connect with many like minded parents! ❤️🌿 best of luck and congrats on your little one! ✨

Answer

You just have to stand strong in your convictions. My 14-year-old, 7 years old have both been raised vegan and trust me, they get it. They don't resent it. They have traveled across the country to try new vegan restaurants. I have used cloth diapers on all three kids. It's just our normal routine.

Answer

I’m in the same boat,dealing with the same thing, they thinky ou can’t because they haven’t went through it themselves or have been raised like that doing it that way, they are older and where raised more in a box. My parents too. ,
Climb outside the box! It’s awesome you are thinking about it. Don’t let others opinions change your mind of how you want to raise YOUR children. See it as a third person. Those are just their opinions... theres people out there doing different things for their kids.
I used to mention it to my parents
But then again they said all of the negative things about it when I’m focused on the positive, that’s ehat you should be focusing on. (Positive) I’m super glad that there are more people out there thriving for this lifestyle, I’ve been vegan since grade 10. And ever since I was little have been like this, (less stuff, not as naturalistic as many others) 
Just stay 110% true to what you want, and go for it, let their opinions thrive you to do it anyway, prove to yourself others can’t change your way of thinking.  Don’t try and make people happy, you make you happy. 
I am very proud of you

Answer

My best friend was raised vegetarian ( I know it’s not the same as vegan, just hear me out) and never once resented her mom for it. When she was little it was easy for her mom to feed her vegetarian food because, well, she was a baby. I think that’s one of the most important parts of raising children in a vegan or vegetarian home. Offering your kids a vegetarian diet from the very beginning will allow their palate to crave those foods as they grow. My friend’s mom also had a variety of meals and recipes for snacks and sweets so her kids never got bored or upset that other kids were enjoying something that she couldn’t. Another tip she gave me was giving her children the option. Once my friend was old enough to decide what to have for dinner, even if she chose something non vegetarian, her mom wouldn’t deny it. But she would make sure her kids understood what that would mean and how it would affect them and the animals. She was very open with communicating with her kids about it and I think that’s the key.This all happened in the early nineties (you know there weren’t any good options for vegetarian or vegan diets) To this day my friend is still vegetarian and raised her kids the same way. I would take the advice your family gives you with a grain of salt. If cloth diapers and a vegan diet is something you are dead set in doing for your baby, then don’t get too caught up in the fearful “what if”  stages of planning instead try embracing all the “what if’s” and plan how you will handle it. After all, it is a lifestyle change, it’s bound to be tough and tricky in the beginning, but as some one already mentioned, it will become your new normal. If you stick to it.

Answer

I just started a group on here for minimalist / zero waste / thrifty people because I find its such an important element to my parenting and it’s hard to find like-minded people. Just search “minimalist” under groups. See you there!

Answer

The “other kids will be eating more interesting food” idea is balongne. One of the reasons I knew I could go vegan was because my friend always had amazing lunches that looked so much tastier than anybody else’s at the table. I promise your kids lunch will be way better looking than a turkey sandwich and a cheese stick. And hey, that can always be replicated if you wanted it to be

Answer

It is your baby, there for you can raise them and when they get older they can choose if they want to keep that lifestyle or not, the only reason they are saying this things is because they don’t understand your lifestyle. That doesn’t mean that is wrong. As long as you keep a healthy diet for your son and teach him the values that supports that lifestyle you are fine. At the end if he wants to eat meat be open for that alternative but you can teaching why don’t you do it.

Answer

Stick to what you believe in.  The animals will appreciate that you are not murdering them for food. Plus as for your family they can get over what they want for your child. This is your life and you are now a mother so it's time for you to take a stand and raise your family the way you want to not how others see fit. If they have a problem with it then to bad they will eaither get over it or not. I have the same situation in my family half of them support us and the other hardly talks to us. Which it's their loss. So everything is possible you make what you want to happen in your life not others. Plus I used cloth diapers and I loved them, they are great they have no chemicals in them our little girl never had a diaper rash and they save you money in the long run.  I bought a pack of 24 cloth diapers and bamboo reusable wipes. It was a bit expensive for them all at once but super cheap in the long run. She used them until she was potty trained so the diapers paid for themselves in 3 months. So if you dont mind  having to do a extra load of laundry a day and saving your baby from having lead and other harmful toxic chemicals on their skin then you should use cloth diapers. So it's time for you to just do you and stop worrying about what other want or think how you should live your life. You can't make everyone happy plus dont waste your energy or stress out on negative people even if they are family. Stay strong girl good luck.

Answer

Not a mom, but low-waste and vegan. Your in law's obviously don't know many vegan dishes because my diet was super bland and blah before I went vegan, now I eat now veggies, new recipes, different grains, etc! A vegan diet leads to the most interesting dishes!! They're your kids, you do you!!

Answer

I know vegan moms that raise their children vegan and when they are old enough for school and go to friends houses, birthday parties and things of that nature they can choose to eat anything they want, and make their own choices. But inside the house at home it’s only vegan. It works for them, the kids don’t feel left out and they rarely choose animal products and when they do it usually upsets their stomach so they tend to stay away. 
When I have kids I’m debating. I am vegan my fb is meat eater. I think we’re going to compromise and have our kid be vegetarian but limited dairy and when they are old enough to choose then they can. I’m not a fan of cheese anymore but I honestly miss cheese pizza but would never eat it again for animal reasons but I feel like I want my kid to be able to experience your average pizza. It’s a struggle lol.
On the cloth diaper idea a lot of parents want to go that route then the baby comes and all plans are out the window. I myself want to do the same cause the thought of all those diapers sitting in landfills forever is sickening. 
My advice would be to have a plan but be flexible because it will all change.

Vegan, zero waste moms?

The Top Baby Tracker App: Embrace New Beginnings with Tender Care

The Top Fertility Tracker App: Your Path to Achieving Pregnancy

The Top Pregnancy App: Nurturing Your Journey to Motherhood

The Top Period Tracker for Empowering Your Menstrual Health Journey