Family thinks being vegan is crazy, how do you deal?
I love my vegan lifestyle. It can get a bit annoying when family members think we are weird. I will always stand behind my decision and I try to set a good example. However, it’s still annoying to have family disagree. What do you do to encourage family to be more open-minded? This subject comes to mind because the holidays exacerbate this situation.
It’s not only your family, it’s 95% of the free world. You made the choice to eat a offbeat diet. You will have to put up with opposition until you’re tired of this fad.
Nothing matters as long as you are happy with yourself and healthy.
I would just ignore them the fact is its your life and if you wnat to be vegan so be it. There is not a lot you can say to people who just dont want to listen to you so just do what you want and let them wallow in ignorance
Edit to flexatarion vegan: its not an off beat diet its a diet about not eating any animal derived products whatsoever – its not that bad
I feel your pain. I finally got my wife to go veggie, and I’ve been trying to go back to vegan. Her parents’ idea of a vegetable is potato or corn (we’re in the deep South). They think I’ve corrupted her. What I try to show them is how she’s been feeling better. It will be easier after she’s been doing it for a while, gets leaner, and is healthier. Sorry, but be happy that you’re doing a good thing for you.
Have you ever considered the possibility that they are right and you are wrong? That is is you who is closed minded? Why would you listen to complete strangeers on the internet and not your family? They have provided you with most of your material needs for a longer time and that was okay with you. Now you won’t even listen to them, even for just a few days during the year? If they can’t make you listen, why should they listen to you?
You need to learn the art of IGNORE and practice it. I doubt your family members will go on bugging you if you completely ignore what they’re saying. That’d be pretty boring. Don’t worry if they disagree, they’re allowed to, and you don’t need them to agree to feel good about what you’re doing.
When I first became a vegan my brother called me a freak and my mother “blamed” herself. I just ignored their comments and remarks and continued to grow personally and spiritually by being cruelty free. Don’t worry about what others say or do, what you are doing is important. I do the cooking for the holidays and people are surprised they can have a holiday meal without the death of an animal.
Who cares what they think? If you are happy w/ your choice that is all that should matter.
I sympathize with your problem. Unfortunetely, I sympathize with your family more, because not eating meat of dairy is, to me, just plain weird.
Well, if you know your facts, it would be very easy to throw just as many comments in their direction as they throw in yours.
It’s a well known fact that when making your own choices in life family members are the nastiest and more ruthless and best as pushing buttons etc. So, why not just make it clear to them that they can either just continue to p*ss you off and make you angry or whatever the case may be, or they perhaps they should just support you in your choices in life — it’s no different than you choosing to suddenly drop your last ten years of piano lessons and say, “I have decided I don’t want to play piano anymore for the rest of my life” and go pick up a guitar instead — to the horror of your family who always loved the idea of you playing piano (and paying for lessons etc.). No different.
Anyway, you should know how to annoy them and push their buttons etc. just as well as they bug you… or whatever the problem may be.
If you choose to be odd . . . then you take the flack.
Living a good distance from my family helps, although they’ve gotten a little more supportive the longer I’ve been vegan. I try to cook for them at least once or twice when I do visit. And there’s a local veggie place they love that they took me to the last time I was there.
If you don’t have that luxury right now, check out “Living Among Meat Eaters” by Carol J. Adams. It will give you tips on dealing with the unsupportive people in your life.
And try cooking for your family whenever possible. If they see how well one can eat, you may not completely change their minds, but they might not think your lifestyle is so crazy. And try to work out a compromise that all the sides are vegan friendly, they have their meat main dish, you have your vegan main dish, and you all eat together.
It sucks, doesn’t it? Best thing you can do is not let it bother you. You know why you’re vegan, and you’re certainly not the only one who is vegan.
I’ve mentioned this book on several of my replies today, but it’s really great and has a whole section about dealing with family:
http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Sourcebook-Sourcebooks-Joanne-Stepaniak/dp/0737305061
find out why your family think it is crazy about it and have an answer for every one of their arguments they will soon get bored if you keep asking them to explain their rational.