A woman has admitted to feeding her daughter's 12-year-old vegan friend meat because she appeared to be "malnourished".
Taking to Reddit's infamous "Am I The A**hole" thread - where users share their stories and others vote on who was in the wrong - the Redditor, who goes by the username 'believeblackbodies' on the site, wanted to know if she was right to allow the girl to eat non-plant-based meals - despite her parents' wishes.
She explained: "My daughter and her friend, M, are both 12 years old and like to have sleepovers every now and then. M's family maintains a strict vegan diet where she isn't even allowed to drink milk.
"Her parents are nice people although a bit on the neurotic side. M is a bright young girl and she's a good friend to my daughter but I noticed how much smaller and paler she is compared to my daughter. I think it's likely tied to her family's diet."
So, thinking M's paleness was linked to her plant-based diet, the mom has taken it upon herself to prepare a big meaty meal for her whenever she stays over.
The Reddit user recalled: "Last weekend, I made some cheeseburgers and steak for them on the grill with a big glass of milk. M absolutely loves it and always politely asks for more (which I happily provide).
"For snacks, I give them some of my venison jerky. For breakfast, I typically make a big plate of scrambled eggs and bacon again with a big glass of milk."
According to the meat-eating mom, M always manages to wolf down whatever she makes for her despite her small size. She also claimed that the girl always left their home with a "healthy glow".
She concluded: "I know I probably shouldn't be doing this but I think M is a bit malnourished (nothing against vegans or anything). She knows she'll get in big trouble if she tells her folks. (I think she fibs a bit to her parents about what she eats)."
The consensus on Reddit is that the mom definitely is the "a**hole" in this situation, with many reminding her that it is not for her to decide what the girl can and can't eat.
One person argued: "She’s being quite disrespectful and irresponsible. The girl could have a medical condition she doesn’t know about. She definitely needs to stop and have a chat with the parents."
Another said: "Adults shouldn’t be asking children to keep secrets. Full stop. Also, there’s a good chance that kid is going to have gut issues because they aren’t used to that huge amount of dairy."
A third wrote: "There is a massive power imbalance there. Kids are often taught that you be a polite guest and don’t argue with the adult in charge. A lot of kids at 12 would not at all be comfortable speaking up for themselves. [Original poster] is the a**hole."
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