picky eaters - are they made or born

[Mud]

I think made

Born. Definitely. Then reinforced as stressed parents try to deal with it while everyone around them tells them it's probably their fault.

Born.

DS1 really picky eater, (nearly 9) always has been, DD is a good eater and will always try new things (nearly 6)
I have done the same for both of them.

Friend of mine with twins, weaned the same, fed the same, offered the same foods, one is a brill eater and the other is a complete nightmare.

Yes you are right about the bug larvae florenceuk. Kids will eat anything in the right environment. I bet you polish kids love cabbage, inuit kids love whalemeat. My dd loves sushi for no other reason than she has been exposed to it from an early age and seen me eating it by the tonne...

Oh dear. Repeating myself again.

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stop being picky

And ds1 was 'picky' and slow right from day 1 - terrible breastfeeder and when moved on to formula he never took more than about 2oz at a time. He takes after his mummy!

Born, definitely. Despite offering a wide range of lovely home cooked dinners to my DS, 18 months, they just get thrown on the floor!

Gosh cat, sounds like mine! She'll eat no end of fruit and veg but little in the way of carbs or protein. And she hates junk.

Born, made (kids pick up on their parents' attitudes to food) and developmental (toddler issues)

Born without a doubt but agree about parents reinforcing it.

DD was a nightmare to feed since birth and is very fussy on textures etc, but is also very sensitive to loud sounds, hair brushing, the feel of clothe etc. DS is completely different and has been great with food, though going through that fussy stage that toddlers do which I'm ignoring.

Born

I was convinced before I had kids that mine wouldnt be picky eaters. Started with home made purees and it was a nightmare to get them into DD, I've tried mixing them with yoghurt, putting yoghurt at the beginning of the spoon, you name it I've done it. She is now 3 1/2 and still very picky, I only cook one meal for us all and its generally good quality home cooked foods. So if she doesnt eat thats all she gets. Once a week we have fish fingers and orgnaic frozen chips and beans and that is the only meal that I can be sure she will eat a reasonable amount of.

Done exactly the same thing with dd2 and she eats everything and anything in sight.

Those who believe that picky eaters are made have been blessed with children who eat everything. One of my closest friends was disgusted by how picky my dd was because she had 3 boys who ate everything they were served. She then went on to have a fourth child who eats NOTHING. Our DS1 is not picky but has his favourite and least favourite foods. DD eats practically nothing with gusto. DS2 would eat the table with sauce on it. As parents we have done nothing differently. The interesting part in our family is that DD was the best eater as a baby. She loved anything offered to her on a spoon until she was about 15 months old.

This topic always reminds me of my mother's reaction to menstrual cramps. She has never had them so they do NOT EXIST. Easy to say when you are not living the experience!

agree with those who think picky eaters are born having been burdened with 1 picky and 1 who will eat anything but cheese.

ds1 is simply not interested in food - he will go to friends houses for the day and not eat

ds2 loves his food and is always willing to try new stuff.

If you give them both a slice of bread and butter for example, ds1 will eat a small amount and leave a huge crust, ds2 will wade straight in and scoff the lot.

Some Born, some made, and some develop it under their own steam, having got off to a really good olive-eating start.
Meggmoo's link makes sense to me.

Maybe the whole concept has evolved in order to establish a hierarchy amongst a pack of competitive Mummies.

Hmmmmm
I have three good eaters for which I would like to take some credit (!)
However I hear what those of you with picky eaters despite your fab home cooking are saying.
I have a friend with the fussiest eater I know. She has two other children who, while hardly in the class of my ds1 (likes everything except bananas) are better than her dd. She is one of those high-maintenance children - very clever, needs little sleep etc etc.
BUT my pal does (IMHO) encourage this by eg carrying a packet of biscuits around with her so that dd eats those and then won't eat tea! So that suggests to me as others have said that it can be a bit of both, and the bahaviour of the parents may serve to reinforce that of the child.

Born - esp DD2 who has been a crappy crap crap eater since birth - Both my childen have been fussy since they were born - Both refused milk from 5 months and would only eat jars/packets - DD1 (now 2) frequentely goes to bed having eaten practically nothing all day (won't let her fill up on snacks - want her to eat the stuff that I have made!!) It's not through want of trying - I just have born fussy children.

Born, DS1 will eat anything or will at least try anything, DS2 is very suspicious of anything he hasn't had before and if left entirely to his own devices would eat a very limited diet.

I think made, but then maybe I have been lucky with DD (although she was a poor eater before 6 months and lost lots of weight, resulting in me giving up breastfeedinga fter a month).

Lots of my friends stress about their little one eating so much that they give in and give them the things they know they like. I think as someone else said, there is so much choice, and so much wealth nowadays that they don't 'need' to eat. And this applies to the parents too - we 'know' we can give them something else too.

I do sympathise with people who have picky kids, and I don't blame the parents directly - I think it is just a thing of our times really.

lol cat64, so agree with your theory . In my dd's case, it is allllll nature!

Made
I would say that having 2 perfect eaters though