Venting can be powerful, it helps us release stress, feel heard, and connect with the people we love. When done well, it’s a healthy way to process emotions.

But here’s the catch: venting can also become addictive. Instead of calming us down, it can spiral into drama, negativity, or constant complaining.

In this episode, we’ll explore how to guide your kids, and your whole family, in using venting as a healthy tool instead of a destructive habit. You’ll learn how to create safe, supportive “venting sessions,” what signs to watch for when things start going off track, and strategies to keep the focus on connection rather than conflict.

Venting doesn’t have to create chaos. With the right approach, it can bring your family closer and teach your kids lifelong emotional regulation skills.

Jennifer's Takeaways:

• Venting: Its Importance and Potential Pitfalls (00:00)
• Mirroring as a Healthy Venting Technique (02:36)
• Addressing Underlying Issues and Modeling Appropriate Behavior (10:45)
• Setting Boundaries and Promoting Respect (11:08)

Meet Jennifer Kolari

Jennifer Kolari is the host of the “Connected Parenting” weekly podcast and the co-host of “The Mental Health Comedy” podcast. Kolari is a frequent guest on Nationwide morning shows and podcasts in the US and Canada. Her advice can also be found in many Canadian and US magazines such as; Today’s Parent, Parents Magazine and Canadian Family.

Kolari’s powerful parenting model is based on the neurobiology of love, teaching parents how to use compassion and empathy as powerful medicine to transform challenging behavior and build children’s emotional resilience and emotional shock absorbers.

Jennifer’s wisdom, quick wit and down to earth style help parents navigate modern-day parenting problems, offering real-life examples as well as practical and effective tools and strategies.

Her highly entertaining, inspiring workshops are shared with warmth and humour, making her a crowd-pleasing speaker with schools, medical professionals, corporations and agencies throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

One of the nation’s leading parenting experts, Jennifer Kolari, is a highly sought- after international speaker and the founder of Connected Parenting. A child and family therapist with a busy practice based in San Diego and Toronto, Kolari is also the author of Connected Parenting: How to Raise A Great Kid (Penguin Group USA and Penguin Canada, 2009) and You’re Ruining My Life! (But Not Really): Surviving the Teenage Years with Connected Parenting (Penguin Canada, 2011).