Poor Distress Tolerance | CP246

Some children don’t just feel things… they feel everything.

The disappointment of a small mistake.

The frustration of something not going their way.

The quiet belief that somehow, they’re not enough.

And as a parent, it can feel overwhelming to watch.

You want to help, but nothing seems to land in the moment.

In this episode, Jennifer Kolari takes us beneath the surface of those big emotional reactions to understand why some children experience the world with such depth and intensity. And she shares how with the right support, these deeply feeling children don’t just learn to cope, they grow into resilient, empathetic, and capable adults.

Jennifer's Takeaways:

Understanding Sensitive, Intense Kids (00:00)

The Role of the Nervous System (01:43)

The Concept of Shame (03:17)

Building Distress Tolerance (05:17)

Practical Strategies for Parents (06:11)

The Importance of Emotional Safety (08:20)

Lifelong Challenges and Support (09:33)

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 th 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).