Let's face it.... being the only vegan in your family is tough. You will most likely feel lonely at times and face challenges that those in a completely vegan family wouldn't face. However, in no way should it keep you from flourishing on your vegan journey! In fact, most vegans are the only one in their families. Below, we’ve provided some helpful tips on what to do (and what not to do) to make the best of your situation.
What to do:
Educate yourself! The first thing to do is educate yourself as much as possible about all the different aspects of veganism so that you always have grounded answers to any questions people ask you. This will make you feel more confident, as well as help your family to understand your decisions.
Find passion! Educating yourself also allows you to develop ties to veganism and to be clear, determined, and strong in your reasoning! The more passionate and committed you are about veganism the more people around you will respect your decision. Show them the same resources that are used on your vegan journey (documentaries, books, podcasts, etc!
In this way, they will have access to the same information you did, and therefore will be able to hopefully understand your reasoning for transitioning to veganism! (Who knows…. they may even go vegan!)
Cook for them! Show them that vegan food is delicious and that you can enjoy all of your favorite foods as a vegan!
Make sure you have a strong support system outside of your family. Make other vegan friends in your community so you can navigate your journey together. If there are no other vegans in your community, try the internet! Internet friends can be just as impactful as in-person friends.
Communicate your boundaries clearly. If there is something that someone in your family is doing that they’re doing you’re not comfortable with, make sure to let them know. For example, if you want separate pots and pans make that clear. Or if you’re not comfortable with the “vegan jokes”, let people know.
Be understanding and patient. Not everyone is going to be accepting and you have to be okay with that. You can’t expect people to change overnight!
What NOT to do:
Don’t get angry When you get angry, people are less likely to listen to what you have to say and are immediately turned off.
Don’t push TOO much! The best thing you can do is educate and lead by example.