Most families disagree on food to some extent; some might have preferences for certain meals, while dietary restrictions can mean ingredients are totally off-limits.
Sometimes problems are also exacerbated when it comes to children – do you raise them with your own eating habits, or let them decide?
One dad found himself at crossroads after his wife decided to turn vegan when their child was around six years old.
On Reddit, the 32-year-old explained that since his wife, 33, changed her diet six years ago, he agreed to eat plant-based items in the house (although he would still eat otherwise outside).
After a series of ‘long conversations’ and a visit with a dietician to ensure it could be done safely, they both decided to raise their son vegan too.
However, recently, the dad had found non-vegan sweets and hamburger wrappers in the 12-year-old’s bag which he’d bought with his pocket money.
Not wanting his son to eat in secrecy, he began buying him non-vegan food in secret from his wife, who believes consuming meat and dairy is ‘revolting’.
Detailing what happened after he discovered the boy’s secret stash, the man said: ‘I had a conversation with my son and he confessed he felt lonely and excluded eating vegan around his friends and that they always had much better candy than he did and it wasn’t fair.
‘I decided I didn’t want him spending his pocket money on snacks and throwing out the vegan snacks we actually brought him instead of buying games etc. It made no sense, but I also know the way my wife feels about non-vegan products.
‘So, I began buying my son what he wanted on our way to football practice instead.’
Recently, however, the mum found out about the habits and reportedly ‘flipped out’.
‘She called me an animal abuse enabler and a few other names and said I was corrupting our son,’ read the dad’s post. ‘Now she is not speaking to me.’
Many commenters on the thread said the man wasn’t in the wrong, but some encouraged speaking to the wife so they could let their son choose his eating preferences.
‘Your wife doesn’t get to decide that the whole family has to be vegan,’ wrote one person. ‘Your son is going to just keep hiding things from you both if you don’t stand up for him now.’
A second Redditor added: ‘You did the right thing by accepting his choice but maybe you should have talked to your wife about it. It’s never a good idea to do things behind your partner’s back.’
Other vegans also commented on the thread, including one who said: ‘I’m old enough to have made that choice and I’m happy – your son shouldn’t have it “forced” upon him at such a young age when building bonds is so important.’
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