Mom Can’t Believe What 8-Year-Old Son Asks After School: ‘Concerned’

A woman has recorded the hysterical moment she was asked a question she never expected to come out of her son’s mouth.

“Am I a vegan or a lesbian?” asked 8-year-old Ke’Shawn, who is deadly serious in the viral TikTok video (@mummyroch)

The March 15 clip quickly went viral, gathering 3.8 million views at the time of writing.

Rochè Smith, 29, told Newsweek: “He meant pescatarian,” adding that he misheard what a teacher had said at lunchtime.

During the video, which has over 374,000 likes, Ke’Shawn, from London, explains what happened. He describes how there were sausage rolls, fish fingers, and fries available. He asked what was in the pastry, at which point his teacher most likely asked if he had any dietary preferences.

However, somewhere along the line, asking if he followed a primarily vegetarian diet that includes seafood or a strictly plant-based diet caused great confusion.

Mom-of-two Smith said: “He is not a big fan of school dinners, so every day he tells me what was on the menu. We were on the bus when he first asked, ‘Am I a lesbian?’ I laughed. Then I waited until we got off the bus and took my phone out to record so he could say it again.”

“No, because he’s genuinely concerned,” said one comment with 67,900 likes.

“[You] can tell this bothered lil bro all day,” pointed out another, and a third chimed in: “Poor baby just wanted to have his lunch in peace, but they confused his diet and sexuality.”

“How did he get that far from pescatarian?” asked one user, while another suggested it’s an easy mistake: “I’m a vegan and a lesbian. It’s a confusing life.”

Although Ke’Shawn doesn’t follow any specific diet, a study by the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health in London examined the impact of plant-based diets on children’s health in high-income settings. The research found that while vegetarian diets generally do not hinder growth, vegan diets may restrict growth and increase the risk of stunting and being underweight, though the percentage of affected children remains small. Additionally, both vegan and vegetarian children tend to have lower bone mineral content compared to their omnivorous peers.

Without proper supplementation, both groups face a higher risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, lower vitamin D levels, reduced iron stores, and iodine deficiency, which could impact thyroid function. However, vegan children typically have a healthier lipid profile than omnivores, whereas the effects of a vegetarian diet on cardiovascular health vary. Dietary recommendations for children following plant-based diets remain inconsistent worldwide, with some countries endorsing them and others cautioning against their use.

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