Devastated over my husband and our vegan kids.
Going to preface with the fact that my husband (28M) was in recovery when we met. He relapsed (on 7oh/Kratom) and things have been very difficult. Only starting with this because I feel it adds context. When he starts using this again he doesn’t think straight and makes mountains out of molehills. We have been married 2 years and have 2 kids together. A 2.5 year old and a 3 month old. I (26F) have been vegan for 8 years and vegetarian for 10 years before that. I have a vegan, happy, healthy almost 8yo F from a previous relationship.
During this relapse, my husband has said that so many things have bothered him and “forcing” the kids to be vegan is a huge one. (???) I made it very clear from the beginning that I wanted all my kids to be vegan, it is huge for me, and he was on board. He was expressing that he’s upset that they will never experience the excitement of a “ steak dinner” (🤮) or going to different restaurants and he feels it’s unfair he didn’t get a say in their diet and he just went with what I wanted because he didn’t want an argument and that’s why he didn’t fight it. For the sake of my 8yo, I told her she can choose to be vegan or not and she happily said she wants to be vegan. My husband gave my 2yo a piece of a meat stick today and I was literally in tears. It made me sick to my stomach to see someone I grew in my womb and nourished with my body for 20 months eat something I’m so against.
Everyone is going to say “leave your husband” and believe me it’s extremely difficult not to. But I do love him, and hope with recovery he comes back around. Additionally, he will feed our kids “non-vegan” on his time anyway, so either way I lose. He also made it very clear he does not want to see me go against my morals and something I’m uncomfortable or hurt about, he wants me to stay true to myself because it’s why he fell in love with me, as a reason for us to divorce so I don’t have to feel complicit in my children not being vegan.
I make sure our kids don’t feel left out, I send them to school with vegan treats for birthdays and class parties, make their birthday cakes, cook great thanksgiving dinners etc.
I always thought I’d marry a vegan man, but I’ve grown to accept that I don’t have control over other people, and all I can do is make the right choices for myself and set a good example and see if they come around on their own.
I know it’s my fault, I know I’m an idiot, I know I’m going to get DESTROYED for even being with a non-vegan in the first place, but I’m hurting and just need to vent. Both with my marital issues, addition issues, and my entire moral compass be stomped into the dirt like nothing. Please try to have grace with me, even if I don’t deserve it.
Posted May 1, 2026, 9:15 PM UTC