Hi there
Thanks so much for your letter on a subject that most young people can relate to. I can hear that the stress you feel is very real and is getting to you. You are wondering is it normal and I would say that a certain amount of stress is normal and can actually help us get things done. It stops being normal whenever it gets in the way of the rest of your life and stops you enjoying all the other activities that you do.
It's good that you can recognise that you are stressed and want to do something about it and even though your mum doesn't quite get it yet it is really good that you are talking to her. Maybe if you were able to tell your mum what specifically stresses you she might be more able to help you.
So what is it do you think? Have you too much homework, is it too difficult, or is it maybe a time thing, where you are struggling to set aside the amount of time that you need to complete it? Once you get that worked out you can then think about a solution that fits your particular problem. It might also be useful to write down a list of what you think the consequences of not getting your homework done might be so you can see what it is that you are afraid of.
It is also really important that you have times in your day that are about chillin' out. Sometimes you just need to relax, see friends or whatever else it is that you do apart from school. Physical exercise is a particularly great way to relieve stress so if you're not involved in sport maybe now is the time to think about getting invloved.
You can also go to the message boards and ask other young people how they manage, there will be lots of advice available. ChildLine are here to talk and you can contact a ChildLine counsellor by phone on 0800 1111 (it's free and won't and show up on your phone bill), a 1-2-1 chat or by email on the website.
Hope this helps,
Sam