impossible to meet friends now for lunch as DS is so active

[kittypower]

My mothers group meet up once a week for lunch which is lovely, our DC are now 1 and my DS is by far the most active of them all. I have just come back from Lunch and am exhausted, stressed and feel a bit down. DS will not sit in a high chair, he just climbs out, give him anything to play with and he throws it on the floor, spends the whole time trying to grab anything in his reach on the table etc etc etc all this is going on while the other babies sit very happily and quietly in the highchairs and the mums eat lunch and chat....can anyone sympathise?!

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i had this I used to long to be the mother of a sedate baby mine were always wrecking adn causing havoc. My mother took my ds to Waitrose when he was one or thereabouts and a customer complained about his behaviour , my dd is just the same if a bit more cuddly

Both mine are like this (DD and DS). The only thing I can suggest is make sure they are really hungry (which will give you about 15 mins peace)and then take them outside for a run around - pubs with gardens are the only way to go really

i keep saying, if peole open up a child friendly cafe, they would make a packet. you know somewhere with plenty of space and a play area. where the customers wouldnt give you dirty looks if the child has a screaming fit!
this happened the other day in the coffee shop/ dd threw herself on the floor screaming and a table of 3 old dears looked at me in disgust! surely if they had kids they should know what it is like.

I too had a VERY active toddler - she is now a very active nearly 6 year old who is VERY talented at gymnastics and dancing.

There is always a plus side to these active children, they tend to be more independent plus will tear around parks and playbarns instead of sitting on mummy's knee. There is a silver lining! Honest!

Kittypower, I wouldn't even have contemplated meeting in a public place (am assuming this is where you meet?) when ds was tiny. He is 3 now and it's still almost impossible - if we are lucky we get till he's wolfed down his food before running around/shouting/whingeing kicks off and he is annoying everyone else in the cafe and making me feel embarrassed/uncomfortable/stressed out.

The only answer is to meet at friends' houses, or have them to yours.

kittypower, i have a DS like yours. we went on holiday recently and every lunch time was an exhausting stressful tightrope experience. sometimes we could keep him happy long enough for us to have the meal by giving him loads of chewy french baguette, which kept him happy for periods of five/ten minutes, but if the food was slow arriving, we were in trouble! i agree with other posters who've suggested meeting up with the group in each other's houses or in a park or something. restaurants are just too restrictive!

thanks for your messages, they have made me feel better. I've tried to find baby friendly cafe round us but they are very few and far between, also as I am the only one in the group with a very active baby it's kind of tricky to suggest that we change plans to someones house or play area as it is only my DS who needs this, the others are totally happy to sit quietly in their highchairs in the restaurant while the mummy's have lunch!!! Think I will have to try it though as really can't face another wriggly, stressful lunchtime !!