The Vegan Summer 1972

If children see that self indulgence causes them to be ill, then they can accept gently imposed restraint, and so develop self restraint. I have shown them my bad teeth, and explained how the dentist had to drill and fill them, and told them the same could happen to them if they are as foolish as I was, in indulging my passion for sugary foods. I am amazed at the way Russell aged only five began to refuse sweets from his playmates even in my absence.

We are sending our children to mix with others of their own age at the local primary school. Here they must learn, as best they can, to live, play and work with other people of differing upbringing. Russell takes cashew/ soya'milk* with an apple to school for the mid-morning break. We fetch him home for dinner. I think he has had to meet some curiosity about his strange 'milk', because he seemed pleased when I pointed out to him that animal milk was 'babies food'. He has never complained about being different, but was very pleased when I let him take a straw to school each day so that he could drink his 'milk' like the other children drink theirs.

We have taught the children to copy the numerals, and letters of the alphabet upper and lower case, as a preparation for reading, writing and number work at school.

I have found the writing of Maria Montessori "The Discovery of the Child" and "The Absorbent Mind" very helpful.

She explains how a child's mind works and how very wonderful they are, with fantastic powers of learning, never again equalled in later life. Madame Montessori's memory is beloved by humanitarians, because she was closer than any other great educationalist to the "Ahimsa" ideal.

She taught that children should live close to nature, should eat fresh vegetarian food, should love and respect animals, and should learn to be orderly and self controlled, by the child's own need of order, self respect, and achievement. She abhorred war and destructiveness, and saw education as a means of preventing war. Many of her ideas have been absorbed into our educational system. < But many schools cannot afford Montessori equipment, so we have our own small collection of Montessori equipment at home, which is in great demand during the holidays. The aim of this equipment for the 3 to 7 year old is to enable the child to experience and classify sensory data about length,