Mom's teenage son didn't want to cuddle anymore, so she knitted a 'new version' of him


One unfortunate thing about parenthood is that there usually comes a time when the bond you have with your children seems to dissipate. I'm referring specifically to the point when your children reach adolescence and are no longer as dependent on their mum and dad. It's around the time that they hit puberty that kids start to come into their own which can result in a distance being created between parent and child.

Marieke Voorsluijs, a mother from Amsterdam recently found herself in a similar situation with her two sons. Voorsluijs was particularly affected by the fact that her teenage son didn't want to cuddle anymore.

So the doting mother, who is a textile designer by profession, decided to take matters into her own hands by making herself a "new" son made entirely from yarn.

Marieke Voorsluijs knitted son can be positioned however she wants. Credit: Instagram / Marieke Voorsluijs

"My son is reaching puberty," Voorsluijs explained. "We used to cuddle all the time, but those days are becoming scarce. Now he [would] rather hang with friends, play with his phone and listen to his iPod. Exactly according to nature’s plan. I am a good mother, so of course, I accept this, and I am happy he is a healthy kid."

Marieke Voorsluijs' knitted son takes a ride on her real son's skateboard. Credit: Instagram / Marieke Voorsluijs

"We laugh a lot about the stretching gap between his needs and mine," she added. "Him needing more of his own space and my covert needs to keep on smothering him with maternal love. So we started to [think about] how we could visualise this puberty gap. So I suggested to make a cuddly version of him."

Dutch mom Marieke Voorsluijs cuddles her brand new knitted son. Credit: Instagram / Marieke Voorsluijs And speaking of mums who are having trouble with their kids getting older, check out this mum who lost it after finding a boy in her daughter's room:

Voorsluijs even has her own knitwear brand, Club Geluk, which offers a range of knitted items. I can only imagine her knitted son ventures far outside their usual merchandise.

Marieke Voorsluijs' knitted son meets her real son. Credit: Instagram / Marieke Voorsluijs

In a blog post, she went into further detail about her very unique project:



"When it was finished we thought it would be a great idea for mothers with to much love for their children and need to cuddle. So they could knit there own cuddly son! My knitted son consists of: a knitted head with a cap, hands with nails and watch, knitted trousers, a knitted sweater with an obstinate slogan, knitters sneakers, and knitted iPod. Actually, the knitted son has characteristics of both my sons. The other one had just grown so much during the process that the smaller one was only able to wear it when it was finished."

Marieke's knitted 'son' holding their pet dog. Credit: Instagram / Marieke Voorsluijs

The project took two months to complete which - considering how detailed the knitted son is - is actually very impressive.

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