Am embarassed about 14mo ds and his lack of table manners!

[brokenmummy]

Earlier this week we ate much with a group of about 15 toddlers a local sure start centre. Each had a packed lunch and ages varied from 10mo- 2.5y.

Ds sat between two 10mo boys. I ended up making a sharp exit and crying all the way home! He spent the whole meal whining (uuurrgh) and reaching out for the other kids food. ALL the other kids ate so beautifully, finished what was on their plate, were relatively quiet and stuck to their own meal. Ds ate about two mouthfuls and just couldn't keep his hands to himself. His food was a bit boring in comparison I guess, he had cheese sarnies and some tomatoes.

All the other mums stood back and watched/chatted while I literally had to restrain ds before he demolished everyone else's food.

I could just feel a million smug eyes on me, wondering why on earth ds wouldn't sit still and eat.

We don't eat together as a family which I'm sure is to blame - but it's hard as I can't face eating during the day and dh not home til 8-9. I'm sure if we had blw he wouldn't be like this.

When in high chair at home he eats really well, but is v v messy!

I feel like I have failed ds :( I live eating as a social event and I think I have screwed up my sons chances of being the same :(

Any ideas anyone?

I am also shocked that the other kids behaved so well!

DD is also 14mo, and I can't give her a plate as she'll most likely throw it on the floor. She also thinks that all food is hers, so if anyone else is eating then she has to have a bit. If I'm eating something different to her, she wants mine. Sometime she'd even prefer mine if it's exactly the same as hers. And she was kind of blw too (mainly ate finger food), so I'm not convinced that it would make a difference. At a joint lunch I'd definitely sit her so that she couldn't reach anyone else's food, otherwise you're just asking for trouble!

TBF, at 10 months old she wasn't grabbing everyone else's - that seems to be a recent thing - so maybe those mums have it all still ahead of them :)