Mum Wants To Feed Pets To The Kids This Christmas To Save Money

This Mum is planning to go to extreme lengths to have the perfect Christmas, but how far is too far?

Christmas can be a stressful time of year for any family, but especially for those that struggle to make ends meet. One Aussie mum has posted to Facebook about the difficulties of funding the perfect Christmas, asking fellow users of the platform whether it would be wrong to eat the family pets for Christmas dinner kidspot.com.au reports.

What To Tell The Kids

Sophie and her family live on a five acre property and have a number of animals that they consider pets, but after a tough year financially, they feel they’ve been left with little option.

“We live on five acres and have loads of chickens, a goat and a pet pig,” she said. “Would it be wrong to cook them for Christmas? Not the goat, just two of the chickens and the pig? I’ve maxed out my Afterpay account and our budget doesn’t permit our usual big Christmas dinner.”

The biggest problem for Sophie is what to tell her children. “Should we avoid telling the kids and replace them when we are more financially stable, or be honest and use this as a learning opportunity to teach them about finance and the food chain?” What a sad reality to be facing at what should be the happiest time of the year.

A Controversial Idea

Sophie’s post attracted a lot of attention, with comments divided about whether her proposed idea was a good one. “It’s not wrong at all, but I probably wouldn’t tell the kids,” one mum wrote. “I think you should do what you have to do if that’s your option – then take it,” another user said. It hasn’t all been messages of support, however, with many people expressing their disbelief and outrage. “I can’t believe what I just read,” one person said. “I think I’d rather have a veggie Christmas than eat my pets,” said another.

We really feel for Sophie, but have to say that in her attempts to salvage Christmas, she may actually make it a more upsetting and traumatic experience for her kids. Better to miss Christmas dinner than to lose a beloved family pet we think…

What would you do if you were in Sophie’s position? Tell us in the comments.

64 Comments

- - musicmum said
  - 09 Nov 2019
    11:45 pm
If you do decide to kill and eat the pets, do NOT tell the kids, my dad did this when I was, young living on a farm. My dad brought home a pet lamb for us and we adored him, fed him, took care of him and when she grew up we would ride her after school, she let us do this because she knew she loved us. When my dad told us it was “time” we were horrified and begged him not to, we never forgave him for this and of course refused to eat her. In fact I never ate lamb again, and now many years later do not eat meat at all. Tell them a white lie, take the “pets” away to be killed when the kids are not at home and tell them a fox must have got them or they flew away, or similar, keep it brief and tell them we will get more soon as we can after Christmas, just don’t tell them. As a vegan now it always bothers me that people can distinguish between killing pets and those bought in a supermarket. The other option I would suggest is contact the Salvos or other charity and ask for a hamper, tell them you are really struggling this year, I know locally they give out hampers to the needy, or just ask a relative to pitch in for the meat this year. Lastly and my favorite go vegan this year, check out forksoverknives.com
- mom90758 replied
  
  11 Nov 2019 , 2:55 pm
  You gave some very good advice here.
- - mom90758 said
  - 09 Nov 2019
    5:50 pm
I don’t know. It depends. Would this be the very first time that the kids eat animals grown on the farm? Maybe they are already used to it. But if they aren’t, I don’t know, I don’t think I would do that at Christmas time. It would spoil their joy.

- - happymum2018 said
  - 09 Nov 2019
    5:40 pm
I’m so so E who would love to get some me animals to grow up on a farm though I agree hopefully the kids aren’t too attached

- - nadine_hill said
  - 09 Nov 2019
    4:58 pm
This is a totally different scenario than a lot of people would face. This is one of the facts to be faced when living and growing up on a farm … although, if the kids are really attached to them, I couldn’t do it!

- - BellaB said
  - 09 Nov 2019
    3:28 pm
I’m not an animal person, so that may color my view : do it if you need to.

- - Riss Nixon said
  - 09 Nov 2019
    11:54 am
Being in animal rescue i honestly find this disturbing. They r just like pet dogs/cats would u eat them?
- musicmum replied
  
  09 Nov 2019 , 11:46 pm
  I agree and people are horrified they eat dogs in China.
- - Mumofboysx4 said
  - 09 Nov 2019
    9:47 am
If the kids are attached to the pets, I wouldn’t do it. Not worth the hurt and upset and they probably wouldn’t eat it anyway making it a waste. Or if you have heaps of chickens maybe just a couple of those and leave the pig

- - celebrity said
  - 09 Nov 2019
    9:31 am
It is life! Be honest with them. I think being on a farm is a good teaching tool. I’m sure they will understand. Christmas is not about stress-just enjoy and do what you have to do.

- - mom371543 said
  - 09 Nov 2019
    8:44 am
The reality of farm life not a bad thing

- - Mummyofone77 said
  - 09 Nov 2019
    6:40 am
What they don’t know won’t hurt them

- - taynik46 said
  - 09 Nov 2019
    6:31 am
I think my kids happiness would overrule eating the pets. Christmas doesn’t need to be lavish, simple foods with great company (family) is the best feast.

My only suggestion is maybe consider getting a turkey and tell them when you purchase it that it is not a pet but it will be kept and eaten next christmas! – use that to teach them about paddock to plate foods before they get attached to the animal.

- - mom343701 said
  - 09 Nov 2019
    5:57 am
It is really tough at Christmas if funds are really limited

- - mom265671 said
  - 08 Nov 2019
    9:59 pm
Don’t understand how some people need to feel like they need to spend heaps on Christmas gifts and food if budget doesn’t allow. Just do what you can and dont feel guilty! It’s the love that counts

- - mom160421 said
  - 08 Nov 2019
    8:18 pm
If the children are extremely close to those particular animals, then no.

- - mom330666 said
  - 08 Nov 2019
    8:02 pm
Not sure how people are shocked with it…as long as she is not going to tell durning dinner “would you like slice od Peppa” should be ok