Custody Battle Over Quints Vegan Lifestyle
By sharon_
@sharon_ (1169)
United States
June 27, 2007 1:48am CST
Parents are fighting over who gets primary residential custody over 10 year old quints, whose mother has had them on a strict vegan diet since birth. She even restricts the quints visits with the paternal grandparents because they have leather furniture.
The quints mother says she is more fit for primary custody,having raised the kids as a stay at home mom all their lives. Do you think the quints mother has serious psychological control issues over her children, because she wants to impose a vegan diet on her children? Should their father get primary custody.
5 people like this
8 responses
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
27 Jun 07
A vegan diet is not the worst thing in the world, she could be taking them to McDonald's every other day instead like some parents do. I may not personally desire the vegan lifestyle but those are her children not mine. Many vegan people live very healthy lives. I don't think she has any psychologic issues atall. These are her beliefs and she has every right to feel that way. What if the situatiion was different and instead we were referring to a Christian mother limiting her children's contact with athiests. More people would applaud her for protecting her children and their beliefs. I don't see a ifference. That woman carried those children an gave
4 people like this
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
27 Jun 07
Sorry about that, three little boys decide to climb on me at the same time...
As I was saying, she carried them, gave birth to them and has spent the past 10 years devoting her life to them she should have a say in their lifestyles. I get tired of people saying that parents like this are "forcing" their beliefs on innocent children. All parents do that with their children. It's no different than Christian parents raising their children to be Christians, Atheists raising athiest children, vegetarians raising vegetarians,....
The father obviously knew 10 years ago that she wanted them to be vegans. If he had a problem with it he should have said something then. Now he needs to just respect their mother's choices until the children are old enough to make informed decisions for themselves.
4 people like this
@sharon_ (1169)
• United States
27 Jun 07
I tend to have to agree with you. I'm sure she's giving them the vitamins and nutrients they need. Even though I'm not at her place to see what goes on, I'm sure she doesn't have any psychological issues either. Please go to vegfamily.com "Gayle: Vegan Mother of Vegan Quintuplets".
1 person likes this
@castleghost (1304)
• United States
27 Jun 07
I don't see why the father should get primary custody just because the mother and the children are vegans. Is there a doctor saying that the children are sick because of the diet their mother has them on? There are a lot of healthy vegans in the world so I don't see this as some kind of abuse. Apparently e knew she was a vegan ten years ago and didn't make an issue of it so why make an issue out of it now
3 people like this
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
27 Jun 07
Without knowing the real story we really can't judge if she is fit or not. If all she is doing is feeding them a Vegan diet, then no she doesn't have any control issues. However, if she controls every aspect of their life, then she probably does.
2 people like this
@urbandekay (18278)
•
27 Jun 07
Yes, a vegan diet is not sufficient for children, though a vegetarian one is fine. But avoiding visits to the grandparents because of leather furniture, if this is the only reason, is deranged.
all the best urban
3 people like this
@agnescav (566)
• United States
27 Jun 07
Is there father saying now that he disapproves of their diet. I think the mother should have custody because a sudden change in their diet could make them very ill.
I don't think she has control issues. All parents impose their beliefs on their children and when the children get older they may or may not agree with them.
At this age, the mother should show that she truly believes what she has taught them.
