Home is where your heart is. Some parents don’t jump at all when you tell them you’re going vegan. There is nothing wrong with this and they are not to blame for anything, they, like many people, believe in the myths about vegetarianism:
vegetarians don’t get enough protein, you will wither and die without meat, you won’t grow big and strong. Parents who do not hold this opinion usually fall into the second category − “I won’t specifically prepare a vegetarian dish, I don’t know what vegetarians eat, I don’t have time for these inventions”. Or your parents just don’t want to face the fact that eating meat causes a lot of pain and suffering to animals, they try to come up with all sorts of excuses and reasons why they don’t want you to change. Perhaps the most difficult thing to convince parents who are determined not to allow their son or daughter to become a vegetarian. This kind of behavior is to be expected from fathers, especially those who have their own opinion on any subject. The father will turn purple with rage, talking about those “hooligans who care about nothing,” but he will be just as unhappy with those people who care about everything. It is difficult to come to an understanding here. Fortunately, there is another type of parent, and more and more of them are becoming. These are parents who are interested in everything you do and why you do it, after some doubt they will still support you. Believe it or not, there are always ways to build rapport with all types of parents, as long as you don’t yell. The reason why parents are against it is lack of information. Most if not all parents sincerely believe what they say they care about your health, although sometimes it’s just an exercise of control on their part. You must remain calm and explain to them what they are wrong. Find out exactly what your parents are worried about, and then provide them with information that will allay their worries. Fourteen-year-old Sally Dearing from Bristol told me, “When I became a vegetarian, my mother caused a row. I was surprised at how painfully she reacted. I asked her what was the matter. But it turned out that she knows nothing about vegetarian nutrition. Then I told her about all the diseases that you can get from eating meat and that vegetarians are less likely to get heart disease and cancer. I just listed many reasons and arguments and she was forced to agree with me. She bought vegetarian cookbooks and I helped her cook. And guess what happened? After about two years, she became a vegetarian, and even my father stopped eating red meat.” Of course, your parents may have their own arguments: animals are well cared for and humanely killed, so there is no reason to worry. Open their eyes. But you shouldn’t expect them to change their mind right away. It takes time to process new information. Usually after a day, the parents begin to think that they have found a weak point in your arguments and are obliged to point out to you what you are wrong about. Listen to them, answer their questions and provide them with the necessary information and wait. And they will return to this conversation again. This can go on for days, weeks or months.