My sister’s a devoted vegan raising her kids the same way. When they stayed over, they begged for tacos, so I made them meat. The next morning, my sister found the wrapper and was furious—I’d “gone behind her back.” She left early, and we didn’t speak for a week.
Then my niece texted, confused about why eating meat felt wrong to her mom but not to her. I just listened and told her it was okay to figure things out for herself. Soon after, my sister called and apologized, admitting she’d overreacted. We called it “the taco bump.”
A month later, she invited me for dinner—jackfruit tacos. She said she’d realized strict control wasn’t helping her kids. She wanted to teach them balance, not fear. Over time, she opened up about how veganism had started as a way to feel in control after her divorce.
Eventually, she started a blog called Balanced Bites, sharing her journey from control to compassion. Her message: parenting isn’t about perfection—it’s about love, listening, and letting go.
That one taco didn’t break us—it changed us. Sometimes, the biggest growth starts with the smallest cracks.
