Sometimes our children use slang that can seemingly cause a record scratch for parents and mentors in conversation. For example, words like “shook” and “triggered” serve as cultural slang to describe a moment that caught your girl off guard or caused a fight-or-flight response in her brain.  

When she confides in you, avoid the gut instinct to immediately interrupt in order to define the term you don’t understand. Remember, it’s a blessing that your girl is opening up to you! Instead, find a pause-point in the story and ask what she meant by the unknown word or phrase.  

Keeping a healthy, open conversation with your girl is a relationship to be treasured and cultivated with care. Even if you risk sounding antique, go the extra mile to understand her perspective by expanding your own vernacular vocabulary. 

Listen to the Raising Godly Girls Minute with Patti Garibay: