I am trying to RISE up and embrace the challenges of raising two teenage daughters. Not only within the ramifications of social media taking a hold of their opinions, but also trying to connect with them and LISTEN without judgement on those opinions. I am a mother of 3 children; 2 teen girls, ages 13 and 14 and my son, who is 9. They are great kids. They are typical kids. They want nothing to do with their parents, alas, that is nothing new. The lesson here that I want to share, is there are specific times when you're kids will talk to you. BE OPEN TO IT. Be patient. Don't jump to conclusions. Let them come to you. I know this is easier said than done, but please be mindful of the moments that may come along. You see, when they are not in the state of mind to listen, they WONT. I have gotten so frustrated from their short responses of "Everything is fine" and "I have a ton of homework" code words for "leave me alone". Their blunt responses to my caring about their day, would get me in such a tail-spin. So now I wait. You might say, why should I conform to them? Well, because it could be the difference between connecting with your children or isolating them. I think that with every kid, there is an optimal time to talk. You will know. Some like to talk in the car, when no one else is around, some like to wander in the kitchen when you are making dinner and sort of sit at the table saying nothing, just looking at you sideways, they may ask you a question that comes out of nowhere and that is a clue that they have something on their mind. You can simply say, "So, what's up". Talk about yourself or your day, to break the ice. Most times, they will want to talk when it is most inconvenient. So be ready. I know that with my daughters, I cannot talk to them in the morning. Any morning. Stay away in the am. They breathe fire at that time of day. My thirteen year old is strong-willed, out-spoken and clever, full of energy. She likes to talk to me when I am rushing out the door. What do I do? I stop. I say to myself, "I can be late"; this moment doesn't happen very often, so make the most out of it. My other daughter, a fourteen year old, is very cautious and quiet, very to herself- she likes to talk to me in the car. BUT, I cannot start off a conversation, she has to. Believe me, your patience will pay off.

One time in particular, I found something in my daughter's room one day printed out from the internet. It was a written dialogue called "Rape Joke", a poetry slam rant, if you will, between two girls that were NOT okay with society's complacency surrounding rape. As I found myself reading this dialogue that was in the form of shouting, I was extremely unsettled but what I read. It was hostile and unsympathetic in its words. It was hard to grasp that my daughter had this in her possession. That she was interested in this so much that she printed it. That she was exposed to something so heinous and evil. Little did I know that it was a stand against how society views woman as victims of not just rape but of sexual harassment of any kind. I didn't know any of this by reading this dialogue because it was a bit ambiguous and to be honest, my mind was paralyzed by the word rape from the first line, that I just couldn't focus. I had to confront her about it. But didn't want her to know that I invaded her privacy. I didn't want to ruin her trust in me. So I WAITED. I let a day go by and when I went in to her room to announce dinner was ready that next evening, I asked her what it was. I said that i was emptying her garbage and saw it on her desk. She was surprisingly open and excited about it. She was eager to talk to me about it. It came from a You Tube video gone viral. My daughter said "Mom, it is a stand against harassment toward woman". As she showed me the video, I found it to be quite the opposite of what i had thought. Although harsh, it was not degrading to women, but empowering. Had I not waited to approach her about it, I may have formed my own wrong opinions and thought the worst. As she showed me the video from which the dialogue came, I was amazed. It was POWERFUL and I was proud of the fact that my daughter was moved by it. It showed me she had self-respect. Because I didn't jump down her throat when i found it, I was rewarded with a child who felt she wasn't being judged, and was able to express her opinion on quite a touch topic. We are all in this together, I hope that my experience can help others.

Michele McGrade, mother of 3, Queens, New York