Imposing philosophical choices...

I’m gonna keep this really simple, and I’m throwing it together at the last minute here, so please forgive the lack of polish (not that I'm ever that polished 😉).  Anyway…

Yesterday, we talked about Deanda raising his daughters in the Christian mode/tradition of forbidding them from having premarital sex before marriage.  The point, the question really was (in a nutshell), how far can parents go when imposing their philosophical values on their children?

So, here is what I’d like you to debate. (I’m really interested in your thoughts here because I’ve often wondered about it myself.)

Since parents have the right (?) to shape the personalities/belief systems of their “blank slate upon birth” children:

1. Do vegetarian* parents have the parental right to restrict their children to a vegetarian diet like their own, starting from babyhood/birth (a philosophical choice likely made by the parents in adulthood)?

2. At what point should the child be allowed/free to choose a non-vegetarian diet?  Once its old enough to understand the concept of meat-eating, say about 5 years old?  Too young?  Other age?

Take time to think it over, then discuss the ramifications of this dilemma.

Thanks!

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* Non meat-eating