Cynthia Germanotta

People have different ways of telling letting you know they need help.

We all have mental health but we as individuals in society don't always treat it as we do physical health... it's just so important.

The Internet is an incredibly powerful tool that has transformed the global economy and revolutionized how millions communicate, collaborate, and express themselves.

We wanted to make the world a kinder and braver place - online and offline.

We wanted to help build safe spaces for young people to tell their stories and to express themselves fully without fear of harassment.

When my daughter Stefani was in school, she was undeniably unique. But unique can be a difficult thing to be for a kid, and her peers didn't always appreciate those things that made her different.

Spending some time learning how to be there - in-person or virtually - for your loved ones can be a life-saving gift.

Remember that it's OK to not be OK, and it's also OK to seek support.

You know, as parents, we're fixers, and we try to protect our children.

Talking is so important. Talking to our children about how they're doing and how they're feeling and also thinking of ways big and small to spend time together.

There were some cries from help I would see from my children that made me realize it was more serious than I thought it was.

I think the power of storytelling is so important. It helps when people realize they're not alone.

We were expected to be tough and strong and get on with it. So, I didn't know how to model a healthy conversation.

Our seemingly small acts of kindness have the power to impact every measure of our lives and help our communities thrive.

I am inspired by the resilience and optimism that young people are showing, despite the challenges they face.

The impact of kindness cannot be understated.

I felt like as a parent, I had to be tough and strong and keep it all together, but I wasn't actually always all together.

Some of the reasons people don't approach their parents is they're afraid of being judged. And also their parents don't share their own struggles with them, which I didn't do.

One thing that was really important in our family was family dinners and nothing was really off limits, but I have to say, looking back, I don't think we ever talked about mental health.

I spent over 25 years in corporate America.

Generally, I was pretty independent and driven myself. We're like that as a family. Our mentality is to be strong.

I hope that ultimately, we can help people develop much stronger respect for their fellow man.

We know kindness alone won't solve the world's problems, but we do know it can impact a person's ability to get through their day.

There is perhaps no feeling more moving or satisfying for a parent than witnessing your child achieve one of their dreams.

The Germanottas are football fans. My husband Joe, a New Jersey native, is a fan of both the Giants and the Jets and I've been rooting for the Steelers for decades.

I happen to love the morning.

An anchor is something that keeps you here and happy and grounded. I have several.

I call family dinner 'safe space,' where you can have healthy conversations about anything, including mental health.

I grew up in what I would consider a very small town - like 800 people - in West Virginia.

I love to power-walk.

I'm the type of person where either my mind or body, or usually both, are always in motion. So I need outlets. I need a form of exercise or reading.

For me, I always like to be on the lookout for small ways to be there for someone - saying hello to a neighbor and asking honestly how their day is going, calling my mom in West Virginia to check in, or treating a stranger in the cafe line behind me to a cup of coffee.

Kindness is not a nice-to-have, it's a must-have - for ourselves and for others.

I encourage parents to be vulnerable. Talk about your current or past struggles, so it really models healthy conversations and good behavior.

You can be an optimist, but you can also not be okay, you know, at certain points in time.

With social media, it's another place, another venue for young people to go. I talk about using it wisely, the wise freedom of using social media, because it can be used for good, which it should, but we also see a lot of harassment, you know, online.

I'd like to see us learn resilience and learn optimism.

We try to equip young people as early as possible to deal with their mental health struggles and to be kind.

We work to promote the mental health and wellness of young people by: making kindness cool; validating the emotions of young people; and eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health.

Any time you see your child in need or in pain, I think as parents we immediately go into fix-and-protect mode. But in fact, they just want us to listen to them. They want us to validate their feelings. Not judge them. And also share our own struggles.

Helping to support someone who is struggling with a mental health issue is never easy - especially when it's your child.

With the benefit of hindsight, I realize that I didn't know the warning signs that I should have been tracking with my own daughters. That's not surprising, since as a society we often miss opportunities to teach parents - and everyone else for that matter - what mental health challenges look like and how to best support someone who is struggling.

Youth are like anyone else - they don't want to open up or seek support if they feel like they might be judged.

As a mother, May always reminds me of the end of the school year and the excitement, uncertainty, anticipation, and accomplishment that my girls experienced. This season marks milestones for our children as they move into new phases in their lives.

Always remember, especially in the face of struggle, that you matter, you are loved.

When Gaga started emerging, when she was in her bikini performing 'Lady Starlight' and decided that night to actually light hairspray on fire. And some people left when that happened - a lot of people stayed and thought it was cool. But her father and I were like, honestly, he said, 'I think she has a screw loose.'

I didn't always understand the difference between normal biological teenage development and a real problem.

I was raised differently, where you just have to be tough and not talk about your emotions.

From physical health to academic and professional success, how someone feels has a tremendous impact on many key aspects of his or her life.

While we rightly stress common core subjects such as science, math, and reading in our education system, these tools for emotional literacy are equally impactful on a young person's long-term well-being and success.