Let them vent
To vent: to express (an emotion) usually in a loud or angry manner Do you let your kids vent in front of you? When they were toddlers, I let them vent more. I would empathize and say things like "Oh, did you hurt yourself? That must hurt!" or "Oh no! Did your sister eat all the popcorn? No wonder you are crying!" But as the years went by, something strange happened. I stopped accepting my kids' frustrations. In my mind, they were signs of immaturity, selfishness and lack of independence. Here is the irony. I often complain to my husband that what I need more from him is not a problem solving machine. I need him to listen to me and to let me vent and 'get it out of the system.' I tell him things like, "I just need to vent. Once I get it all out, my head will clear up." Does this sound familiar? Why is it, then, that I find it repulsive, embarrassing, and unacceptable, to see my kids vent? If they don't vent with me, how and where do