From my old Veggie Mama blog:

Dear Veggie Mama,
How do I prepare my vegetarian child for pre-school? My son is four and has never been in a school setting before. He has never had meat before and I am afraid they may try to give him some on purpose or by mistake.
Carla (via email)

Dear Carla,
You can start by taking your son on a tour of the school before he starts, and introduce him to the school head, the teachers, and anyone in charge of the food production or handling. Explain to them that you and your son are vegetarians and do not eat animal flesh of any kind, including chicken and fish (you may be surprised at the number of people who think vegetarians eat chicken and/or fish).

A good, reputable daycare or pre-school will respect your wishes and abide by them. Keep in mind, though that turnover is fairly common in pre-schools, that is another reason why it is important to know who all the teachers are and make sure they have posted near the eating area or kitchen a list of special food requirements for the children to remind them of who can eat what.

If at all possible send your son with a snack or lunch every day, that will help to alleviate your worries and ensure he will get enough to eat during the day. Some places will not allow outside food, though, so be sure to ask if this is ok.

It has been our experience that most children who have never had meat do not express any desire to eat meat at this age, and often show revulsion toward animal flesh. You can prepare your son by explaining to him your personal reasons for being a vegetarian family. This will help him answer questions from other children and even adults, and give him confidence not to feel odd or strange in some way.

This blog entry written by Trula Breckenridge. Thanks for visiting Family Footprint!

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