I joined Pinterest a couple of months ago.  And just as I suspected I would, I went crazy for the first couple of weeks, pinning this and pinning that.  I pinned recipes and quotes.  I created boards for the important roles I play: mil spouse, mom, teacher, runner, writer.  I even started pinning my favorite top 10 lists from my blog. 

As of right now, I have 180 pins.  And until a few days ago, the only pin I ever looked at after I originally pinned it was a Valentine’s Day craft I ended up doing with my kindergarten students.  The craft was cute.  I may or may not repeat it with my class next year.  But it didn’t change my life or my relationship with my students.  However, the second pin I went back and looked at was different.  And thanks to that pin, I’m now bonding with my son in a way I haven’t been able to in quite some time.

The original pin comes from a blog called Mama Jenn, although it sounds like she got the idea from another blogger who got the idea from another blogger….you know how that goes.  My cover isn’t nearly as fancy as hers, but fancy isn’t my son’s style.
The basic gist of the Mom and Me journal is that Big C and I write letters to each other, asking and answering questions.  We’ve only been corresponding for a few days, but already I’m getting a glimpse inside my 8-year-old son’s brain. 
Big C is a man of few words. Unless you enjoy tutorials on Legos or Air Soft guns, you’re not going to get a lot out of him.  A typical conversation with Big C goes a little something like this:
     “How was your day at school?”
     “Good.”
     “What did you learn?”
     “Nothing.”
     “Do you have a lot of homework?
     “I guess.”
But after his recent attempt to initiate a sex talk, I realized I needed to find a way to convey to him that asking me questions is not only ok, but there are different ways to ask questions.  If he doesn’t feel comfortable asking me verbally, then maybe he’s like his mom and finds it easier to express himself through the written word.  And that’s when I went back to Pinterest and decided to do more than just pin a good idea and save it for later.  Later became now. 

Although Big C and I haven’t touched upon the meaning of life or where babies come from, we have definitely opened the lines of communication.  We may be starting out with mundane discussions about our favorite parts of movies and his favorite subjects in school, but I’m hoping these are just the warm-up stretches to prepare us for the real exercises to come.  I love watching his excitement when he looks on his bed and finds the notebook, knowing there’s a new entry for him to read.  I love that he finds creative places for me to find the notebook after he has left his own entry.  And of course I love that we have something that is just OURS, something that is only for Mom and Big C (which of course has made Mr. RC insanely jealous even though Big C has assured him that he is allowed to guest post every now and then).

I haven’t been very active on Pinterest lately.  I don’t know if it’s because I’ve lost interest after that initial high of joining a new club or if it’s because I just don’t have time to look at smoldering photos of Ryan Gosling or crafts I will never in a million years attempt to do.  But even if I never pin another pin, I’ll always be thankful for Pinterest for giving me a way to bond with my son.

Are you on Pinterest?  Do you find yourself pinning awesome ideas but never going back to actually do them?  What are some of your most memorable pins?  Please share!

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5 Comments on How Pinterest Is Helping Me Bond With My Son

  2. I love the notebook idea. I may use it when my daughter is older. I am not great at communicating verbally, so I usually have to write my thoughts out before entering big discussions. I wonder if this could help ease that mother/daughter tension during puberty…

    I love Pinterest. I am definitely not on there as much as I was, but I do try to check every few days for new recipes. I have found a few activities for my daughter that have worked out.

    Reply

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