



Well here’s something you don’t see every day: Self-proclaimed “Smother Mother,” Marieke Voorsluijs, knitted a life-size version of her son because he didn’t want to cuddle with her anymore.

My son is reaching puberty. We used to cuddle all the time, but those days are becoming scarce. Now he rather hangs with friends, plays with his phone and listens 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.

We laugh a lot about the stretching gap between his needs and mine. Him needing more of his own space and my covert needs to keep on smothering him with maternal love. I am a textiles designer and he often helps me and has great creative ideas. So we started to fantasize how we could visualize this puberty gap. So I suggested to make a cuddly version of him!