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We are vegetarians and have been for over a year. My daughter is 6 now and is feeling some anxiety over the fact that she is the only one in her class who is vegetarian. She is loved by all and fits right in but still feels so different that she is the only one who doesn't eat meat. We've tried explaining to her that not everyone understands eating meat is hurting animals. But she just can't get past it. What can I do to help her?

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It's very normal for veg kids to feel a little different when they are the only ones they know or the only ones in their class who are vegetarian or vegan. I think young children who have any sort of "difference" probably feel a little uneasy if they are the only one-- for example, young children who wear glasses, or children with birth defects, or children who are Kosher or who have other dietary restrictions or allergies (such as to peanuts.) So I think it's important to approach the whole "why am I different?" question from the same perspective as any of the other differences mentioned above.

With my own vegan daughter, who has asked me why other kids eat meat, I tell her that they simply don't know what we know about how the animals are treated. I teach her to respect everyone's choices, but I also applaud her for serving as an example. I've told her she is a hero to the animals and she loves that.

It's definitely a little harder when a child isn't raised veg to begin with. For example, being vegan is the only way my daughter has ever eaten, so she doesn't miss or crave animal products because she's never known them. But for children who know what animal products taste like, it can be tougher to suddenly not be allowed to do something that used to be perfectly okay.

To make things easier on her, here is what I would do:

1. Be sure you pack her amazing lunches! If she's really happy with what she's eating, she'll care less about what others are eating.

2. Be sure she gets some treats occasionally. No one wants to be the only kid who doesn't get a cupcake or a cookie when the rest of the class is having some. You can send her with healthy versions of treats, but don't skip out on the treats altogether.

3. Try to find other vegetarian children for your family to get together with, even if they are not in the same school as your daughter. My daughter loves it when we attend a vegan potluck because she loves knowing she is not alone.

4. Continue to encourage her to discuss her feelings with you. Validate her concerns and express again how proud you are that she is not eating meat.

5. Try to find other vegetarian kids going to your daughter's school. Who knows... there might be another veg kid right under her nose!

Good luck!

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