The Internet has shown its support for a father who decided to introduce animal products into his children’s diet after his ex forced them to follow a strict vegan regime.

Reddit user u/LanzaRA-Vegan876 He shared his story on the popular thread. “Am I the A*****?” where his post quickly gained traction, amassing 5,200 upvotes.

In the post they explained that they and their ex-partner, Venus, were together for more than 10 years, starting when they were just 15. During that time, they both followed a vegan lifestyle and they agreed to raise their children, Mercury, 11, Jupiter, 9, and Mars, 7, as vegans, a practice that Venus had also been raised with.

“About 3 months ago, I slowly started reintroducing meat into my diet and since then I have felt much better. I haven’t had to buy a lot of vitamins or carefully plan my diet to make sure I get all the amino acids or avoid them. deficiencies, and my food bill went down,” they wrote.

They began researching and discovered that children raised vegan could sometimes experience slower growth and need supplements for nutrients like B12, calcium, and iron.

“Neither of my children have started puberty yet, which might be fine, but since I hit puberty around age 9, I became worried about Mercury,” they added, referring to their concerns about the children’s growth.

All children were in the 5-15th percentile for height and weight, prompting them to seek medical attention. After consulting a doctor, parents were advised to try reintroducing animal products into the children’s diet to see if that would have a positive impact on their growth.

After informing her ex about the change, tensions rose. Venus, allegedly furious, threatened to take them to court to seek full custody of the children.

“She calls me cruel and has been telling our boys that they should refuse to eat any animal products and say that I am forcing them. When this is not true and every time they have gone, they have loved trying new foods like milk real, eggs, etc., some don’t like them, which is fair,” they shared and ended their post with the question, “AITA?”

Expert advice

Psychologist Caitlin Slavens offered her experience to news weekpointing out the complex emotions involved.

“There seems to be a lot of emotion and personal history in this situation, which is not surprising given that it involves big changes in the children’s diets and in the beliefs that both parents have held for years.”

He encouraged a focus on “creating an informed and supportive environment for children” and suggested that parents work together to reduce tension.

Slavens noted that while it is responsible to consult a doctor, it is also essential to involve both parents in decisions that affect their children’s established lifestyle, especially a core element like diet.

“One way to address this is to suggest a joint meeting with the primary care physician,” she advised, allowing both parents to hear the recommendations firsthand and collaborate on a plan.

A collaborative approach, he said, could help reduce the likelihood that children will feel divided between their parents.

Caitlin acknowledged that Venus’ reaction could be because she felt surprised. By allowing Venus to openly express her perspective, parents could prevent conflicts from affecting their children.

“Finally, if direct communication tends to lead to conflict, consider turning to a family therapist or mediator who can help create a structured conversation,” Slavens recommended, emphasizing the importance of supporting children’s health and sense of unity. familiar.

Reddit reacts

Redditors were quick to back the parents, showing support for their approach.

“NTA. I would recommend getting medical documentation for the inevitable custody battle to come. It’s strange that only she can decide her diet, and I really don’t see any court imposing her diet on others,” Redditor commented. RemotePassenger7880.

“NTA. You also have the right to decide what to feed the children. When my children are with their father, they probably get more unhealthy things, but I give them a well-balanced diet. I keep my mouth shut because he is struggling and does what best you can,” another user added, echoing the importance of balance and perspective in co-parenting decisions.

news week I contacted you/LanzaRA-Vegan876 to comment. We were unable to verify the details of the case.

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