No creatures on her plate

I made pork chops for dinner tonight. Pork chops, mashed potatoes and a medley of mix vegetables, a meal Shelby helped me plan and prepare.


We sat down at the table as a family and Shelby was eating her meal without a problem.

At some point, she asked, “What are pork chops made out of?”

“Pork Shelby … pork comes from a pig, just like bacon."

A mouthful of uneaten pork came tumbling out of her mouth, falling onto her plate.

“I don’t eat creatures and a pig is a creature,” she said to me and then she turned her face to the mound of pork and said “I’m sorry little piggy.”

This is news to me; just yesterday she ate meatballs with her spaghetti. As Shelby ate the non-meat items on her plate, we went back and forth about what comes from animals – steaks are from cows; chicken nuggets are from chickens; cheese even comes from and animal since the milk it’s made from comes from a cow; and the list went on.

Shelby declared she will not be eating anything that caused a creature to die. No meat for her.
Now, I have two children who won’t eat meat. Seriously?