A Story of Courage, Tears, and Teenage Sons

There I was, standing in front of the ice bath, heart racing, stomach twisted, and trying to remember why on earth I agreed to this. My teenage son—full of confidence and mischief—looked at me with a smirk. “Come on, Mum. You’re not backing out now, are you?” There was no quick exit as I stood there in my bathers - it was either ice bath or run out into the public area in my bathing suit - and from those two options - the ice bath seemed better than me in my bathers and the ridiculously fit '20-somethings' parading around the entrance and juice bar!

This was not my idea of a relaxing bonding session with my teen son. I mean, isn’t a movie marathon or grabbing an acai more our thing? But no, this was the dare. And when your teen son dares you, it’s like the universe is throwing down a gauntlet. Backing down wasn’t an option.

The first plunge into the icy abyss was… well, it was horrible (Exhibit A - the image above!). There’s no sugarcoating it. I cried. Not the elegant kind of tears, but the full, ugly cry. Cold and overwhelmed, I sobbed like I’d never be warm again. But, you know what my son did? He comforted me. This mountain of a boy, the same one who makes sarcastic remarks and leaves his socks all over the house, looked at me and said, “You’ve got this, Mum...just breathe!”

That’s the thing with our boys. Sometimes they surprise you. Just when you think they’re all bravado and teenage angst, they show you their soft side. And so, we went in again. The second time, I only kind of cried. He guided my breath, and it actually hurt less - not a lot less but anything was better than before! By the third plunge, I was... okay. Not loving it, but okay. It wasn’t about the ice anymore; it was about us. I dared to face my fear, and he dared to let me in—to show me a side of him that’s quietly protective, caring, and supportive.

I got better each time, not because the water got warmer (it definitely didn’t), but because we were in it together. And that’s the real benefit—doing something uncomfortable, a bit scary, and a little crazy, and coming out stronger on the other side, with our connection deeper than before.

And that’s what Neon Goat is all about—a brand literally born from the bond between a mum and her teenage boys. As the founder (and occasional ice bath victim), I wanted to create something for them, for these amazing boys we get to call our sons. It’s not just about natural deodorants (though trust me, you’ll want the Shvitz Stick when they’re doing their version of ice bath dares), it’s about embracing the journey of raising them, in all its messy, beautiful, tear-inducing glory.

So here's to more dares, more challenges, and more moments where our boys show us just how incredible they really are. 🐐