🌪️ Mothering Through the Mayhem: Finding Calm in the Chaos of Raising Teens

By Naomi Stockman

Licensed Therapist & Depression and Anxiety Specialist
Clinical Hypnotherapist | Transformation Therapist | Founder of My Local Hypnosis

“Raising teens isn’t a test of perfection—it’s an invitation to parent with presence, not pressure.”

There’s a reason so many women feel like they’re coming undone when their kids hit the teenage years — and it’s not because they’re failing.
It’s because this chapter asks more of us than we were ever prepared for.

It’s loud. It’s unpredictable. It’s deeply emotional.
And sometimes, it’s heartbreakingly lonely.

👩‍👧 When Motherhood Shifts Gears

In the early years, the demands were physical — sleepless nights, school pickups, and sticky fingers. But now, they’re emotional.

You’re not tying shoelaces anymore.
You’re holding your breath through their mood swings.
Absorbing their stress from school, friendship breakdowns, screen addiction, and sometimes… silence.

“You don’t have to hold it all together to be a good mum. You just have to hold on to yourself.”

🤯 The Invisible Load We Never Talk About

You’re the steady anchor, while they’re testing every boundary.
You hold the fear of who they might become, while mourning who they used to be.

And all of this is layered over your own life:

• A demanding job

• Relationship strain

• Caring for ageing parents

• Co-parenting dynamics

• The never-ending “to-do” list

Some days, just breathing feels like a task.

🧠 When Your Past Joins You at the Kitchen Bench

Teen rebellion can stir up your own teenage wounds.
That moment your child lashes out? It may activate the little girl in you who never felt safe to express herself.

You’re not weak. You’re not broken.

“This isn’t failure. This is your nervous system remembering something that once hurt you.”

Healing doesn’t mean you’re never rattled. It means you show up with understanding instead of shame.

🌬️ Reclaiming Calm — One Breath at a Time

You don’t need to overhaul your life to find calm.
You start by asking: “What do I need right now?”

Small steps matter:

• A cry in the car

• A hot shower with the door locked

• A walk without guilt

• A good laugh with a friend

• A silent moment beside your teen—no fixing, just presence

“Calm isn’t something you earn. It’s something you deserve—always.”

💖 You Are Still You

It’s so easy to disappear inside motherhood.
But the woman within you is still here—aching to be seen, heard, and honoured.

Your teen doesn’t need a perfect mum.
They need a present one.

And you?
You still deserve joy.
Not when it’s all over.
Now.

🔁 Not Just Surviving Teenhood—But Staying Whole Through It

You don’t have to wait for peace to arrive.
You can create it—one moment, one breath, one boundary at a time.

You are:

• A mother

• A woman

• A lighthouse in the storm

And no matter what this day holds—you’re doing better than you think.

🌱 Contact Naomi Stockman

💻 www.mylocalhypnosis.com.au
📍 Clinical Hypnotherapist & Transformation Therapist
📧 Naomi is available for coaching, speaking, and private therapy sessions.