Today was a crazy day. Ruby and Eliza Claire had to go to the doctor, then Charlotte had to go to dance. So we stopped at Sonic to grab lunch in between. As Charlotte was eating her chicken strips the following conversation took place.
Charlotte: Mommy, how do you make chicken?
Me: (OK what do I tell her, do I tell her you have to kill it? Do I not tell her? I grew up on a farm. I knew you killed things to eat them by this age. This is about the age I was when the Chain Foot incident occurred and it wasn't nearly this gentle of an introduction. She has to learn it sooner or later.) Charlotte, I'm not sure how to answer that question.
Charlotte: How do you make chicken?
Me: (Here goes.) OK Charlotte, chicken comes from the chicks that hatch from the eggs that grow up to be the big chickens that say "cluck, cluck." You have to kill the chicken and then you cut it up and cook it. (Cringe. How is that going to go over?)
Charlotte: Mommy it is not nice to kill things! You can't kill the chickens that will make the farmer very mad! They are his chickens!
Me: Charlotte there are only two reasons the farmer has chickens, to get eggs from them and to kill them to eat.
Charlotte didn't respond to that. I think that was about the time we arrived and dance and she got distracted. She did finish eating her chicken so obviously I didn't scar her too badly.
Cluck, Cluck,
Jenn
*chuckling* Yep, we've always told our girls exactly where food comes from. They do know that chicken is from chickens and Papa used to have to kill them. Pork chops and bacon are a pig, and hamburger is a cow. However, I don't think they equate it with when Papa sells the calves.... what happens to them. Shhhh...
ReplyDeleteI think that Chain Foot deserves his own post. I have never eaten chicken and dumplings again. Our children grow up so differently than we did.
ReplyDeleteChain Foot will get her own post in a day or two :)
ReplyDeleteI guess Chain Foot lives on...heard Summers tell Sherri on Sunday that she should eat some of Granny's chicken and dumplings, and she replied "It might be someone I know, don't you remember hearing about Chain Foot".
ReplyDelete