Help me love my thermomix

[meganjane]

Kathryn, we replied at the same time!! Your advice is also great.

We all have to take stock and realise what's important. The kids will never remember the house being messy or anything like that.

In fact, today my daughter said she remembers being able to do stuff she wanted to in the house, like paint her bedroom any colour she wanted. (she painted one wall with a sunset, 2 others blue and green, another with a different coloured sunset and the back of the door had the Aussie Flag!!)

[Frozzie]

choccymoose do you know anyone else who has a thermomix not far from you other than your consultant??

[fundj&e]

i will comment on this in about 10 hours 2 many sumbucas.

[Frozzie]

lol fundj

[ThermomixBlogger]

What great advice and warm support you have received chocymoose . I would absolutely echo all that's been said already. I would also add that for every reply you've received there's been AT LEAST one person who has read your question and felt too overwhelmed to take the time to respond. So many of us here are moms who are trying to cope, but the difference is that most of us have already 'fit' Thermomix into our crazy lives, where you are still trying to do so. Bravo for you for asking for help. Believe it or not, this shows that you ARE coping! (insert the "thumbs up" emoticon here...) 

I especially loved the advice from Johnro who said something to the effect of "stop yourself from reading too much because the discovery never ends". (So well said ) I would also suggest that you might make a little 'dance' out of the noisy Thermomix times.    It is no doubt stressing you out when your son becomes distressed at the sound. This is likely a big hurdle in you being comfortable with the machine. I would suggest you do an countdown out loud to prepare him that the sound is coming... something like FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE, BLAST-OFF and then... do the THERMOMIX DANCE!! I'd try holding the boy while dancing around as the TMX does its thing. The hope here is that he will not only become accustomed to the sound, but may even enjoy those times when it becomes noisy. If you give him plenty of attention and scoop him up after shouting BLAST-OFF (or something similar for effect), he may eventually want to turn the dial himself to make the fun time happen.

I feel your frustration verging on despair and hope that something in this warm "group hug" of advice from caring Thermomix fans will resonate for you. How about making hot chocolate for your older son? Or one of the many sorbets... might he like that if the two of you take a "Thermomix break" and sit down for a treat together. (Is it possible he resents the machine because it appeared, soon after his life was changed by the addition of a sibling.. and like the baby, this machine is asking for your attention?) I hate to suggest or ask these questions, but just saying... in case it might help. Take a deep breath and know that you are doing great because you obviously care very much about making the right choices for your family. I applaud you for posting your questions and concerns here.

Best warm wishes,
Helene

[faffa_70]

oh you just reminded me Helene .. mine hated it 3 years ago when I first got it too. They used to run screaming from the room now they come running as they know that food of some kind is going to be appearing. Not always to a certain fussy ones liking but they come anyway. Hang in there 

[cookie1]

Everyone has given you such wonderful advice. Good luck with it. Perhaps get your oldeer child/children helping with the thermomix. eg turn the dial or push a button. Let them make themselves something with lots of help from you. Maybe they could select a recipe. Maybe just to grate up an apple or blitz a carrot. Let us know how you go.

[Frozzie]

love helenes advice for making it fun and involving your eldest...my kids block their ears but luckily they are never scared etc.....and I think she may be right re thermie and baby arriving at roughly the same time so he may have the feeling that these newbies are taking his place....id go with that and see how it goes ...when I had problems with my eldest when DD came along...I made him the big boy that only he could do certain things and say its because he is the eldest etc...he liked that and explained he neededto take careof his sister...he took the 'role' on very well 

[chocymoose]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for the responses and advice, I'm overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers. You have brilliant ideas, I'll try to involve Liam (my older one) in cooking with the thermomix and make food more fun. He enjoys cooking, but mainly cakes 

Bub had a bad night teething and felt like death warmed up today. I really look forward to being about to have a full nights sleep. One day! I did a small grocery shop this morning and have all the ingredients for chicken croquettes for an attempt tomorrow   Will let you know how I go!

Thanks Rogizoja - I haven't used the steamer to cook any meat yet, its on the list of things to do 

Hally, thank you for the lovely offer but unfortunately I'm in sydney

creampuff - Thanks for the words of wisdom, we always used to be worried about our son not weighing enough so tried what we could to get food into him. Perhaps a consistent tough love approach would have been better. He grazes through the day, he eats fruit so its not all junk but life would be easier if he would eat his dinner!

Judydawn - Thank you for the meal suggestions, I am trying the chicken croquettes this week   Hoping my son will eat it, he doesn't like potato. Don't know why, i love it. Its the ultimate comfort food. DH isn't much of a cook either, he will make steak and veges and has been helping out more in recent weeks with things being harder than usual

Frozzie - looks delicious, i will try this one next week! I don't know anyone other than the consultant nearby who has a thermomix, a few friends on facebook have one and its where i found out about it but they are interstate.

LellyJ - Thanks for the offer, its very kind. If you have any spare booklets that would be wonderful, or I can have a look at the ABA website and get some through there. Before kids we weren't the neatest people but now I want to be and find it frustrating that as soon as I clean or tidy an area it stays that way for about 5 minutes.

[Frozzie]

chocymoose you sill love the creamy chicken and veg and kids love it too... and as for being frustrated about keeping things clean dont worry and forget abut it...like so many others i have clean house one day and other days its chaos...dont know many mums with young kdis that dont have houses like that...just life....i used to get so annoyed at everyone for messing everything up in what seemed liked 5 sec flat..it helps as they get older if you teacfh them to pick up after themselves...i am still repeating myself but they do pick up their things when asked...and it helps once they start school...at least the house is clean during the day...bottom line...dont worry so much about it...if something bothers you that much just turn it into a game..usually works! 

[judydawn]

Chocymoose, you sound better already - it really does help to have a good chat with people on this forum.  Good luck with everything you try in the coming weeks.

[Debbiebillg]

chocymoose. I have 3 young children (at one stage I had a newborn, 21 month old and a 5 yo) and know how full on it can be.  Now they are 7, 4 1/2 and almost 3 and it is slowly getting easier.  Just a couple of tips, I have found that the eldest was the fussiest and at one stage I was so frustrated with the fact he wouldn't eat his dinner, this is what I did. That afternoon, I prevented him from eating any snacks etc, so he was hungry at dinner time.  I served up dinner for myself and my husband and we sat down at the table and ate dinner (didn't call him for dinner as I usually did and didn't say anything either).  While we were sitting eating our dinner he came over and asked where his dinner was. I told him, I didn't make him any because he never eats it anyway and I didn't want to waste my time or the food.  I didn't give him anything else.  The dinner was lots of veges and I just let him go. At bed time he said I can't go to bed I haven't had my dinner.  I gave him lots of veges and he ate the lot (I think he was starving by then), and I've never had a problem since.  Sometimes, you just have to be smarter than them lol but it does of course also depend on their age and undertanding.  I have never had a problem with the younger two with food, they copy their big brother so never an issue, hence best to solve the problem with the eldest so it doesn't carry forward. Also, my big tip when you have young children is, plan the meal early in the day and cook once they're having a nap.   Once dinner is cooked it eases so much pressure (even if that is self imposed) off you for the rest of the day !  Oh and also, the ABA as mentioned above also have a forum, which is a great place to vent too (not that here isn't great).
Hope this helps !
Debbie

[Lellyj]

Hi again Choccymoose

Hope you are feeling more positive in spite of a sleepless night. I checked on the ABA website and those booklets are still available but I will have a look for my copies for you--the ones I have will be out of date-but still good advice though!  Maybe I can send them to you or scan them or something.  

He grazes through the day, he eats fruit so its not all junk but life would be easier if he would eat his dinner!

Preschoolers probably cope better with 5 small meals through the day, so remember this when you are stressing about how much dinner he is or isn't eating, especially if he's having healthy snacks through the day.  Some kids are just so tired that they don't really feel like eating dinner either.

Great to get him cooking with you.  Another thing you might like to try is "wrappy" type food.  Our favourite family dinners for many years involved me cutting up a selection of salad vegies, cheese etc and some mexican type mince or meat strips souvlaki style that everyone could choose what they wanted and then wrap up in a tortilla or pita bread.  And another favourite meal, particularly for lunch was just called "platter" where I chopped up cheese, ham, vegies, fruit whatever and often had dips and the kids could just pick what they want.

Try not to worry!!!  My son was 4 before a green vegetable crossed his lips and now his a vegetarian!

Hope you have a good sleep tonight!

PS Just read Debbiebillg's post and it sounds like what my friend tried with the vegiemite sandwiches!  It's true, if they are hungry, they will eat!!

[judydawn]

Another point if I may - I think it is important to feed little ones earlier for tea and not wait for Dad to get home late from work.  Whilst they are waiting for their proper tea they are wanting to eat snack foods.

[Debbiebillg]

Yehh I agree JD, we eat dinner between 4.30 and 5.30.  My DH is a shiftworker so we only work around his shifts if he's on night shift, that's when we eat at 4.30.  I would rather give them dinner early and give them a snack a bit later on if need be.