food preferences / tastes

[AliGrylls]

For a while I have been curious to know at what age food preferences / dislikes kick in. For the past few months I have been all smug and proud that DS eats absolutely everything I make for him.

However, MIL says that DH was a really good eater until he suddenly became fussy at 5 and my mother says that my sister was also a really good eater until the same age when she became really fussy.

I would just like to know what my chances are of DS staying this way.

My ds ate just about anything you gave him until about 12 to 18 months when he started to have very fixed ideas on what he would eat.

Now at 4.5 he takes a lot of coaxing to try new things and mainly eats the same half a dozen meals.

I'm letting it slide to be honest as I was a picky child but am much less fussy these days!

Across the MN board, I think you may find it varies widely.
DS1 always ate everything he was given. AT 6, still does. not keen on salad, lettuce cucumbers and raw tomatoes. Any hint of ' I don't like this' is met with ' well you have for the last 3/4/5 yrs' and still dished up.

Ds2 - 1.5 eats most things. doesn't like egg sandwiches. But is a total carnivorve and loves meat way over veg. would only eat meat, given half a chance. i noticed this a month or so into weaning and it has got worse.

So what does that tell you ? that we are too soft ? that many eating habits are inherent ? that we pander to them ? not sure.

So far I like to think it is because I am such a good cook!

All I want to know is how many children who start being good eaters stay that way. So many children seem to go through phases of being fussy and grow up to be fussy eaters as well.

oh i was never that conceited. although i am a fab cook. ha ha. just thought it was luck of the draw that he was like that from the start. and that we never ever pandered to him.
but i think you will find that even that, is not always the reason for the change to fussy. not even sure we know what is.
but if you start with a child who doesn't like what you like thats one thing. but if they change at 5 or 6, then surely a strong hand, non compliance has a big say there ?
or no. i might be speaking nonsense. I don't know anything about it to be honest.

You sound like you do know something or maybe it is just that I agree with you. So your opinion would be not pander to it once they get to the age of 5 - that is my basic view as well.

However re DHs fussiness - he actually can't eat cheese. He heaves when he smells it and it is the same with eggs. His mother tried to get him to eat them and bribed him with a fiver when he was a child and he threw it back up again. I thought it was a bit more of an allergy thing until the other day when he ate the baby's lunch by accident which was actually full of cheese. He said he didn't taste it. Now I know it is all psychological.

we're all allowed to not like things. dh is allergic to tuna. highly allergic. no fuss. i'm not that keen on brussell sprouts, but would eat them if invited round to dinner. don't like cockles and welks either. not sure i could stomach those at dinner. but might try.

but i do think i don't know much becasue i have been blessed with eaters. i don't know. there must be lots of mn'ers who would disagree.... i had an eater then at age .... she/he .....
maybe you are on the wrong section. you may need to be in the .....can't think what section... to get the experience of those who are tormented by fussy eaters. they might give a different perspective.

I could post somewhere else.

It has been really lovely chatting to you anyway