Okay this is just a little too nutty, even for me. As most of you know, I’m nowhere near vegetarian, but I do have respect for those who choose not to eat meat for whatever reason as long as it’s not crammed down my throat that I’m some kind of monster for choosing otherwise.

In Florida, there’s a raging divorce-custody battle going on based upon quintuplets and their mother who has them on a super strict vegan diet. The mother won’t even let the kids see their paternal grandparents because they have leather furniture in the house, and that (of course) means that they’re likely to feed the kids meat. Yes, all grandparents live their lives to go against the wishes of their children… don’tchaknow?

Of course, I’m completely aware of the nature of grandparents to be a little more of the type to give in to a child’s wishes or demands, or are more likely to spoil them, but come off it already… If I had kids, and told my parents that I didn’t want them eating peanut butter, they wouldn’t feed them peanut butter, I’m quite sure. Especially if the kids never had peanut butter before and didn’t know what they were missing.

In this unusual custody fight in Florida, the quintuplets’ father, Jeff Nelson-Folkerson, says in court papers that he should have custody of the 10-year-olds, citing his wife’s “serious psychological control issues,” first and foremost of which is imposing a strict vegan diet on the kids, a diet “so strict, in fact, that she rarely allows the children to visit their paternal grandparents because they have leather furniture in their home” and might let the children eat animal-based foods. [ABC News]

I agree - she does have serious psychological control issues. I’m willing to bet that if one of the kids gained 5 pounds she’d put it on a treadmill for a couple hours a day or teach it to vomit after eating. Can’t have fat babies, you know!

In this fast-food-friendly nation where pediatric obesity has been called a form of child abuse by some doctors, the law does not directly address the legality of imposing a strict vegan diet on children.

While I would never condone feeding your child a heavily junk food filled diet, I would also never condone limiting your child’s diet so strictly. Vegetarian diets for kids are even okay, or allowing only fish or free range meats I can understand. (There are so many variations on restricted diets these days!) But think of it this way; When even one of those kids goes to college (or high school even) and sees their friends eating pizza, having a good time, and decides to take a bite - all hell WILL break loose.

Why can’t people just raise their kids to eat healthy food but allow them to still be kids, and just teach them about nutrition so that they can grow up to be fully functioning adults capable of making educated decisions? I have a cousin in my family who would ration her kids’ candy/cookie/junk food consumption. I remember thinking back then that it was kind of strict and a control issue, however when I look at me as an overweight adult and them as healthy young adults without weight issues, pimples, or other issues - I’m kind of convinced that’s the way to go. I mean, she’d count out 10 m&m’s for the kids for dessert. Or ONE cookie. The whole package would be right there in plain sight, but the kids got a serving size portion. She didn’t restrict them from being kids, she allowed them to have treats the way that everyone should have treats.

Another friend of mine limits her child’s time on video games, often requiring him to spend a certain amount of time outside riding his bike with his friends or playing basketball or what have you before he’s allowed to have half an hour on the PlayStation. I think that’s FABULOUS. He gets to spend time socializing (which is beneficial to developing as a human being) as well as just relaxing and having a good time playing with the latest technology (which teaches him about things like computer graphics and game technology - a highly profitable career choice should he decide to go that route) and the kid doesn’t feel like a loser when all his friends are talking about the latest game at lunch in school for a week.

…if this issue is about the alleged excessive control and mental health of the mother, the father’s attorney might be able to argue that she is impairing the children’s relationships to the father and the father’s family, driven by her alleged concern for example, about the grandparent’s leather furniture and nonvegan lifestyle.

Balance. Moderation. Learning. Good choices.

Isn’t that what being a parent means in terms of raising children?

Things like, “Ewwwww, meat!” coming out of a 10 year old’s mouth just kind of make me cringe. It’s the same as hearing them say, “Ewwwww, fat girl!”

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