Plant-based diet has multiple health benefits – it can help you maintain a healthy body weight, increase your energy levels, decrease the risk of developing diabetes, heart diseases, cancer and other conditions. Adopting a plant-based diet also helps protect hundreds of animals. These may be some of the reasons why you may have switched to a plant-based diet. And now you wish that your children also receive these benefits. If you are looking for ways to introduce your child (or children) to plant-based foods, you are at the right place. One effective way to do this is to inculcate compassion and love for animals at a very young age.

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Click Here		Making children aware of the practices like factory farming, inhumane handling of animals, slaughtering of animals, and its significant negative impact on the environment, may not be the right way to go. One reason being, it might have a traumatic effect on your little one. You can educate about these harmful impacts of animal-based foods when they become teenagers, or you feel confident that they can process this information without any emotional trauma.

Meanwhile, here are some ideas which can help teach your children to love animals: 

Take care of a pet: The best way to teach your kids to love animals is to own a pet, only if you and other adults in the family are ready for it. Your pet can be a dog, cat, rabbit or a bird. Caring for animals can have a magical impact on kids. You can teach them the basic needs of the pet, how they communicate with us, the differences and similarities. You can ask them to feed the animal, take them for a walk, or help you with other pet chores. 

Watch your friend’s pet: If you don’t have a pet, you can always offer to help your neighbours or friends to watch their pets when they are not around or talk walk with their pets. This way your child can learn how to love and care for the animals. 

Play with stuffed animals: You can buy stuffed animals for children, and teach them about their needs, characteristics, and how they can be compassionate with animals. You can pretend to be a vet and ask questions to your child, like ‘what does the pet need’ or ‘what is the pet feeling’. You can arrange the living room as a virtual zoo, and encourage your kids to talk about the animals how they can be cared for.

Introduce books and movies about animals: There are infinite books about animals for children, particularly story books. These can be read for the kids as their bedtime stories or they can learn to read with these books. Also, there are many colouring books of animals for children. You can even sit with your children and watch a movie on animals, preferably animated ones, as they will gain their attention. This can be a fun family ritual, with some popcorn and snacks.

Visit nearby animal groups: If there are any animal groups in the surrounding region, you can visit them once in a while. This can include an animal shelter, a zoo, or a wildlife center. Nowadays, pet-friendly cafes are popular, where you can play with other pets; it can be a fun and relaxing outing for you and your children. You can always take a trip to the nearest wildlife sanctuary, and see the animals in their natural habitat.

Spend time in nature: It is always a good idea to spend time in nature, where you can breathe fresh air; you can go camping, hiking, trekking, or simply a picnic in the nearby park, etc. The nature has so much to give to every human being. You can learn about the local ecosystems and the animals in that habitat. You can also teach the value of natural spaces and the importance of keeping the earth healthy and clean. 

Teaching children to care about animals will not only encourage them to have a plant-based diet, but also care and nurture our planet. It is always best to inculcate these ideas when the children are young, so that they become responsible and healthy individuals. 

References: 

  1. Plant-based eating. Humane Society International.
    https://www.hsi.org/issues/plant-based-eating/.
    Accessed on May 17, 2021. 
  2. 5 Ways To Help Nurture Your Child’s Love Of Animals – At Home And Away! Family Travel Association.
    https://familytravel.org/5-ways-to-help-nurture-your-childs-love-of-animals-at-home-and-away/.
    Accessed on May 17, 2021.
  3. 6 Animal-Loving Lessons to Inspire Compassion in Kids. Doing Good Together. https://www.doinggoodtogether.org/bhf/blog/creature-love.
    Accessed on May 17, 2021.
  4. Nurturing Children’s Love for Animals. North American Association for Environmental Education.
    https://naturalstart.org/feature-stories/nurturing-childrens-love-animals.
    Accessed on May 17, 2021.
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