|
Vegan Children
Teach Your Babysitter About Vegan Life
by Melanie Wilson
When a vegan family invites someone into their home to care for their
children, they may experience some of the same concerns as families who use
daycare. They will have to consider the cost, how their children will
adjust, whether the caregiver is trained to handle emergencies, and yes, the
issue of food; it doesn't go away simply because you're on your turf. But
unlike daycare, you control the environment - and the hiring.
Article continues below
My husband was stationed in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia two years ago. When we
first moved here, we heard how Mongolians subsist mainly on meat and dairy
products with only the occasional carrot or potato. The thought of finding a
caregiver for our daughter who would understand - let alone honor - our
eating choices seemed daunting. I resigned myself to finding an experienced
babysitter and teaching her about our ways as a vegan family.
Doogee came to us from our upstairs neighbor with high recommendations. She
had also worked for six years with another American family. We'd totally
lucked out! But I still faced the task of explaining our lifestyle and
hoping she would get it. I spelled it out as simply as I could, at first
leaving out the theory, and just setting the rules.
I told her that in addition to eschewing meat in our diet, we also did not
eat dairy products or eggs. I told her that anything she found in our
kitchen for our daughter to eat would be totally acceptable, that we did not
allow animal products into our home. Surprisingly, she didn't seem too
shocked, though she did ask a few questions, which I answered honestly and
to the point. We don't believe it's healthy. We care about animals. We don't
buy or consume those products.
For the first six months, as cold as it may seem, I never invited her to eat
lunch with us. I assumed that as a Mongolian she would not want to eat what
we eat. In any case, it was common for the local babysitters to take a lunch
break, so each day at lunchtime she headed out to eat.
When our second child was born, I needed more help around the house. Doogee
started helping me to prepare lunch while I worked a little longer on the
computer with the baby in sling on my chest. At that point, letting her
leave for lunch seemed rather rude, so one day I asked her if she wanted to
stay and eat with us. She replied with a resounding yes! She said she had
always eaten with her old American family, and they, by the way, were
vegetarians. I couldn't believe she'd never mentioned it! But then again, I
had never asked.
Doogee has been with us for over two years now, and we know how very lucky
we are to have such a loving person help us care for our children. But the
road has had a few bumps along the way, and there have been teaching
opportunities while growing into the fine relationship we have today. Here
are a few hints for teaching your babysitter or caregiver about vegan life:
Instead of limiting your options by searching only for a vegan caregiver,
look for someone who embodies the qualities you find valuable in a person.
Don't assume that your babysitter isn't interested in or doesn't understand
about veg life. You don't have to proselytize, but you can and should share
information that will make her job easier.
Offer to share your vegan food! If you don't allow non-vegan foods into your
home, this is the easiest and most considerate way to handle mealtimes. It's
also a great opportunity for passive activism.
If members of your family are not vegan, make sure to keep your child's food
separate. Don't rely on your non-vegan helper to make wise choices about
what your child can eat until he or she has been with you for some time.
Post a list of acceptable snacks on the refrigerator.
Ask her to please show you first any gifts of food that were purchased for
your children. This is a delicate area where you'll want to handle refusal
of any items carefully. Let your babysitter know that it was very thoughtful
to bring a gift for your kids, and be specific about why they can't have it
or which ingredient is offensive to you as vegans. This is an opportunity
for learning!
If your caregiver helps to prepare meals, ask her if she has any vegan
recipes she could teach you. You might be surprised! Doogee has taught me
how to make a traditional curried potato pocket and has shared recipes for
traditional salads. (Turns out Mongolians do eat vegetables after
all!)
If a mistake occurs, and your child does eat some non-vegan food while in
the care of your babysitter, don't overreact. First find out exactly what
happened, then discuss together how these mistakes can be avoided in the
future.
If your children and babysitter leave the house together, include a list of
food items that would be acceptable wherever they are going, or better yet,
pack snacks from home!
Investing time and energy into teaching your caregiver about vegan life will
give you peace of mind. More important, however, is welcoming warmly into
your lives the person who will be caring for the most cherished members of
your family.
Melanie Wilson is the former editor and publisher of Vegetarian Baby & Child
magazine. She edits the family section of VegNews and manages Vegetarianteen.com online magazine.
| |
Sponsors:
|
