Just another ethical debate during dinner.

Henry: What are you eating?

Me: A chicken leg.

Henry: You're eating the leg of a chicken.

Me: That's right.

Henry: Meat is animals.

Me: ….yeah.

Henry: Someone cut the leg off a chicken and now you're eating it.

Me: Yeeaaah. Hey, Henry, maybe you don't eat meat because you're a vegetarian.

Henry: What's a vegetablerian?

Me: Someone who doesn't eat meat. Maybe you don't eat meat because you don't like the idea of killing animals.

Henry: I don't like meat.

Me: Right. Because you don't want animals to die, maybe.

Henry: No, I don't mind. I don't mind at all if chickens die. I just don't like them.

Me: So it's not for moral reasons.

Henry: I don't like morals, either.

Comments

[TX Poppet]

"Henry: I don't like morals, either."But then, who does?

Very cute post.

[Suecris]

I like "vegetablerian!" Seriously, though, I have a 14 year old who's still a vegetarian after just such a moment at age 4. Never touched it since. And, like Henry, it was more that meat was gross than for humanitarian reasons. She's infected her younger sister, once a committed carnivore.

[SuburbanCorrespondent]

We, too, have a vegetarian inspired by squeamishness more than compassion. He won't eat eggs, either. And considering that we can't have dairy in the house (oldest child is very allergic), this kid is a B12 deficiency waiting to happen. Drives me nuts.

[EJW]

I like when people say they're a vegetarian (or a vegetablerian). It means there's more meat for me.

[kate]

Ha! That's a great story!

In our house, we are vegetarian; one day my daughter (5 at the time) had been at her cousins'...she came home and very proudly told me: "I tried a hot dog. It's made out of PIG!!" I had just had to laugh.

Henry, sweetie,you can come live with us. No chicken legs, AND no morals.

[Average Jane]

This reminds me of the t-shirt my sister got me for Christmas last year that reads, "Meat is murder. Tasty, tasty murder." I should wear it tomorrow...

[elise]

"I don't mind at all if chickens die" might just be the best statement ever made on here. By Henry. Well, today at least.

Hey, you have some funny stuff pretty regularly. Don't try to tie me down to something like that.

[Lori]

ha! i was also thinking of "meat is murder. tasty, tasty murder." that's a threadless tee.

[Nora]

Me, I'm a vegetarian because I freakin' hate plants.

[jennifer Kashak]

Yea, morals.. Who needs em? Henry is so cool.

[Meg]

Ahhhh.... this is also why my boyfriend does not eat meat. And he decided on that at Henry's age.

[Bipolarlawyercook]

"I don't like morals, either." Him and Karl Rove.

[jessica]

I'm with ya on the morals, Henry, but not so much the meat. Meat is YUMMAY.

[Leaf, probably...]

Neither do I, Henery, neither do I...

[Beck]

My oldest daughter is convinced that she is a vegetarian, with the exception of bacon. Since bacon comes from the magical bacon plant and all.

[All Adither]

My four-year-old has asked a lot of questions about "died animals" and consuming them. But it hasn't swayed him the least.

Nice try with the morals though.

[Becky]

I don't like morals either, Henry.

[Z]

He sounds like my kind of vegetarian. I gave up meat at the age of 6 because I just didn't like it. My parents tried everything to make me eat it, I was stubborn, so... No meat since then. (Over 20 years now) And, I, too, don't mind if chickens die. I grew up in huntin' country, and that didn't bother me at all (except the need to wear that horrid orange jacket so as not to be shot and all... such a fashion faux pas!)

As for the bacon comment - that, too, was the last meat I gave up. Cuz bacon ain't meat, it's salt. ;) Gave it up when I was given the ultimatum "You either eat bacon and all other meat, or no bacon and no meat." Did I mention I was a stubborn little kid?

[The Mom Bomb]

Maybe he's SuperHenry, above all morals. A little Nietzche at bedtime, perhaps?

My son's reading a child's book on world religion and announced he's not a Buddhist, because "being enlightened means you have to do stuff like be nice to people." I think that rules out just about every other religion . . .

[jules]

This was hilarious! Thanks for the laugh!JulesHouse of Jules

[daysgoby]

Or maybe Henry the budding gourmet meant Morels?

Maybe mushrooms are more his style.

[Manic Mommy]

Sounds like you're raisin' him juuust right.

No morals in this house either - but plenty of meat - usually chicken.

[Meegan]

I love Henry. He's a freaking amoral meat-less riot.

[Ginny]

You see this posting every day thing has made everyone funnier. You're making the world a better place, Alice!

[Jill]

I read your blog regularly but have never commented. That all changed with this post though. "Someone cut the leg off a chicken and now you're eating it." This is a priceless statement.