When Your Teen Takes It Out On You… And You’re Just Trying to Hold It Together
Your teen is respectful at school, helpful to friends, and polite to strangers, but when they walk through your front door, you get the eye rolls, mood swings, and silence. If you’ve ever felt like your teenager’s emotional punching bag, this episode is for you.
Tammy (mum of 3 teens) and Carolyn (mum of grown daughters) are talking about the emotional whiplash that comes with being your teen’s “safe place” and how painful that role can be. While it’s often a sign of closeness and trust, that doesn’t make it easier in the moment. Especially when you're doing your best to stay calm… and it still feels like you're getting the worst of them.
In this episode, you'll hear:
As always, they share three tiny tools to help you stay steady when emotions run high:
Name the Pattern, Not the Person Shift from personal reaction to calm redirection with a simple boundary phrase: “Hey, I can see you’ve had a big day. It’s okay to feel it, but it’s not okay to take it out on me.”
Anchor Yourself With “What’s Mine” Before you respond, ask: “What part of this is about me… and what part is just emotion needing a place to land?” This tool helps you stop absorbing the storm and start observing it.
The Post-Storm Repair Ritual After the emotional wave passes, use a soft re-entry like: “Hey, I know earlier was tough. I’m still here and I still love you.” This gives your teen a safe path back, without overprocessing.
Reflection prompts from the episode:
What’s one boundary I could set that protects both of us?
When do I feel most impacted by their moods?
How do I remind myself that I’m not responsible for fixing everything?
You can love your child deeply and still feel hurt. You can be their safe space and still need boundaries. You’re not failing, you’re close. And sometimes, close is messy.
Like this episode? Share it with a fellow mum who’s carrying the weight of teen emotions on her shoulders. And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss next week’s real, awkward, and honest conversation.
You're doing better than you think. And you've got this.