WIBTA for refusing to stop cooking bacon in my kitchen because my teenage daughter went vegan?
When my 14-year-old daughter chose to go vegan, I supported her fully — new recipes, special pans, separate groceries. But now she wants meat completely banned from our home, and I’m struggling to see where support ends and control begins.
I’m a dad in my 50s, lifelong Midwesterner, and I’ve been cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast since before my daughter was born. When my 14-year-old announced earlier this year that she was going vegan, I was genuinely proud of her conviction. My wife and I adjusted our budget to include pricier vegan foods, learned new recipes together, and made sure she had everything she needed. It’s been a smooth transition — until now.
Everything was fine until she saw me cooking bacon and declared that the frying pan I used was “hers” — reserved for vegan cooking only. I told her it’s a family pan, but I still bought her a few new ones just for vegan meals. That didn’t solve the problem.
After that, she decided our entire kitchen was “contaminated.” The dishwasher, she said, had traces of bacon grease from the pan. The fridge handles were “gross” because I touched them after cooking. (For the record, I wash my hands.) She now wants my wife and me to stop cooking or storing meat in our home entirely. My wife thinks I should consider her request—saying we could always eat meat at our parents’ houses nearby—but I feel like that’s overstepping.
“Dad, you’re making the kitchen disgusting. The dishwasher is full of animal residue!”
I get that this is an emotional issue for her, and I’m not trying to mock her lifestyle. I respect her choices, cook her vegan meals, and keep her cookware separate. But asking the entire household to give up meat feels unreasonable. I want her to feel comfortable at home, but I also don’t think it’s fair to demand that everyone else change their diets or habits completely.
“Kiddo, I’ll support your vegan choices all day, but I’m still cooking bacon in my house.”
Now my wife says I’m being stubborn and that “it’s just meat,” while my daughter is barely speaking to me. I feel caught between being a supportive dad and being a pushover. Would I be the jerk for putting my foot down and refusing to stop cooking meat in my own kitchen?
🏠 The Aftermath
So far, we’ve reached a temporary truce: she uses her colored vegan pans, and I clean up thoroughly after cooking meat. But tension lingers. My wife tiptoes around meals, and my daughter still refuses to use the dishwasher.
I’ve made sure there’s no cross-contamination, but she says just the smell of bacon “makes her nauseous.” My wife thinks giving up meat at home would show “respect.” I think it would set a bad precedent — that whoever yells loudest gets their way.
I love my daughter and want to support her ethics, but I’m not giving up bacon forever just because she found her cause at fourteen.
Support doesn’t mean surrender — even when it’s to your kid.
I’m hoping we’ll both learn how to share a kitchen without turning breakfast into a battleground.
💭 Emotional Reflection
Parenting a teenager means navigating strong opinions — and this one’s rooted in her ethics, not rebellion. I admire her passion, but balance matters. A home should make everyone comfortable, not just one person.
This conflict isn’t about bacon; it’s about boundaries. I want her to know she can live by her principles without demanding others live by them too. That’s what real coexistence looks like.
Maybe one day she’ll see that compromise — not control — is how respect truly works, even between family members who eat differently.
Here’s what Reddit might say:
NTA — You’ve bent over backward to support her veganism. Expecting the whole family to convert crosses a line.
NAH — She’s a teenager navigating new ethics; you’re a dad setting boundaries. It’s growing pains, not cruelty.
YTA (lightly) — Meat isn’t essential at home. Maybe give up bacon in the kitchen for a while to show respect and rebuild trust.
Most people would agree this is about finding balance — not winning. The key is respect in both directions, without guilt or demands.
🌱 Final Thoughts
Being supportive doesn’t mean surrendering your lifestyle. Families can share one roof without sharing every belief or diet.
Sometimes love looks like cooking separate meals — and sometimes, it looks like keeping the bacon in your own pan.
What do you think?
Would you stop cooking meat at home, or keep your breakfast routine? Share your thoughts below 👇
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