[Nelson International]

This is a bit of an odd one, and probably doesn’t belong in this subforum, but I couldn’t work out where to put it, so feel free to move, mods, if there’s somewhere more appropriate.

We took our first sheep to the abattoir last week, a year after we got a flock. That night our son (8 years old) was inconsolable. He’d shown no signs of concern in the weeks leading up to it but since he continues to be quite insistent that he doesn’t ever want to do it again.

He’s previously had no problems when we’ve reared pigs from weaners, and even came to the abattoir once with them. I don’t know if it’s that he’s a little older, or we’ve had the sheep longer, but this time it was, without warning, very different.

For me, rearing our own animals has made me feel both that I have no problem eating our own produce (they’ve been well cared for and have had as good a life as we could give them) and more dubious about eating the product of poor welfare standards, but it’s hard to reason from first principles with an eight year old.

Anyway, I guess what I’m asking is whether anyone else has been in a similar situation, or otherwise has any thoughts or advice?

[Fleecewife]

I don't think it is impossible to reason with an 8 year old, but you must listen to his side first, without 'buts' and let him know that you take his opinion seriously, and respect it.  Accept that he has a problem with killing - there's nothing unreasonable with that, it's just rather surprising that he's been fine before.  But maybe that's because, at 8, he is old enough to have had a good think about it.
Ask him if he's ok with the rest of you eating lamb, as long as he doesn't have to.  Find out if it's because he has made pets of the lambs when they were little that killing them for food has become impossible.  We have always let the children (in this case grandchildren) know from the lambs' birth that they will go for food, our food, and there have been no problems with that.  Maybe our lot are just bloodthirsty and love the taste of lamb?  I really wouldn't push it, don't make him be involved at any stage if he doesn't want to be, but let him know that this is what happens on a farm, and that it will happen again next year.  Hopefully that way he will know well in advance that the lambs which are born so small and cute, grow up to be food.

[Backinwellies]

I am very SAD but when (years ago) my stepson, then aged 8, cried when I took him to a market and told him the destination  of the cattle …. I followed it up with a trip to Mc D's ………… yes he was delighted with his burger!

[Scotsdumpy]

Could it be that he has told his - non farming - friends at school and they have singled him out for eating his lambs. Perhaps he has overheard parents/teachers or other adults, not necessarily in school, that have expressed horror at eating lamb.

my hairdresser is horrified that her young daughter relishes lamb and asks for it whenever she is offered a choice - even going so far as to point out little lambs in the fields saying 'how can you eat such little creatures'  I have tried to tell her that the lamb on your plate isn't the lamb gambolling around the parks.

Just to add that I work in a school and have heard and seen how peer pressure can influence a child's outlook.

[Nelson International]

I think that you might be on to something there - he's mentioned a little about some of his classmates talkign about it so it might well have had some influence. In a way I think it's a good thing he's clearly thinking about the issues, even if his response would currently be to buy meat from the shop so he doesn't have to think about it.

We've had some good talks about it since last week, and we'll see where it goes.