Parent Education Classes
Serving Parents, Grandparents, and Caregivers
Kindering offers a variety of Parent Education classes and 1:1 coaching and support aimed at giving parents confidence and useful strategies as they navigate their child’s early years.
About Parent Education Classes
We provide evidenced based, culturally respectful information and strategies for raising young children. Our classes are designed to support and strengthen parents, grandparents, and caregivers in areas where they may be challenged, or needing new insight or guidance. Classes allow participants to ask questions, and to get feedback, resources, and support.
Some of the topics our classes cover include:
- Social emotional coaching with young children
- Tips for successful separations and transitions
- Understanding and reframing challenging behaviors in young children
- Media, screen time, and young children
- Establishing and supporting family routines
- Promoting positive sibling relationships
- …and many more
Class Format: Virtual and in-person
1:1 Parent Coaching and Support
We offer 1:1 coaching to partner with parents who are interested in individualized strategies and support for their unique child and family situation.
Coaching can be short term – one or two sessions – or ongoing, depending on the needs of the family.
Coaching format: Virtual
Who Can Join
Classes and coaching are open to all parents and caregivers who are interested in strengthening their parenting skills; you do NOT need to have a child enrolled at Kindering to participate, or a child with disabilities or developmental delays. Classes are geared towards parents whose children are ages 8 or younger.
For further information, please contact Kindering’s Parent Education and Family Support Manager, Cristina Wheatley, M.Ed. at cristina.wheatley@kindering.org or give us a call at (425) 528-2817.
Grants and other funding do not cover the full cost of running this program. If you can, please consider making a donation to Kindering to help us continue providing these free services to the community.
When you click on the donate button you will be redirected to our Kindering’s Donate page.
Please specify in the additional information section that you would like to donate for the Parent Education program.
Upcoming Classes
April 2024
Why Do Young Children…?!
Why is my child biting now? Is it okay that my 18-month-old isn’t walking yet? Why does she have a major temper tantrum when her banana breaks in half?
Join this interactive session where parents, grandparents and other caregivers can ask questions about children’s development and behavior. Participants can share their wisdom and receive feedback from others.
April 9, 2024 from 6:30–8pm
Facilitator: Cristina Wheatley, M.Ed.
STARs hours available for parents who are also Early Childhood Educators
Parent/Caregiver Support Group: Raising Young Children
Join other parents, foster parents, grandparents, grand-friends, and other caregivers of young children, birth to age 8 to share in a conversation about the joys and challenges of raising young children.
There will not be a set topic in this session, but participants will be able to share ideas, ask questions and learn from each other.
When: April 10, 2024, from 1–2pm
Where: Zoom
Facilitator: Cristina Wheatley, M.Ed.
STARs hours are NOT available for this session
Why do we tell stories? To try to make sense of a world that can be terrifying and enormous.” – Brennan Lee Mulligan.
Join Matthew Rickmon, Certified Therapeutic Game Master, on a journey with parents to learn how to tell stories to their children.
When: April 15, 2024, from 6–7:30pm
Where: Zoom
Facilitator: Matthew Rickmon
About the Facilitator: Matthew is the director of Washington State Father’s Network. He has worked for a non-profit children’s musical theatre company before starting his own business where he taught social skills for nonprofits and charity events. He also works as a sensitivity consultant and creator for a tabletop gaming company on how to include characters with disabilities, mental illness, and neurodivergence in tabletop gaming.
STARs hours are NOT available for this session
Testimonials
“I am a proud father of an almost three-year-old son. I have attended several different sessions of Kindering’s parent education classes. I would highly recommend them to anyone. The presenter brings extensive knowledge and experience. I learned a lot about a variety of topics such as emotional development, healthy environments/habits, and understanding the language development of my little man. I also like the open environment of the others in the room – there is an environment where everyone is encouraged to explain why they are there if they wish, ask questions they have, and be a part of the greater goal of being a better parent, or teacher. Parenting comes with ups and downs, setbacks, and successes. When I am in class, I felt we were all on the same page; connected and striving for a larger toolbox to better understand and overcome the challenges of raising young children.”
“My favorite part of the classes is how the presenter leads the group. Everyone with a question has her utmost attention, she addresses each concern or success in the moment, and she encourages an environment that feels so comfortable because you can tell she cares. Talking about her children, her grandchildren, experiences, or simple suggestions to others, you can always tell how much helping others means to her. The information, slides, and videos brought to class moves it along, only the personal interactions along the way is the mortar to the bricks of material that holds everything together. These classes have made an impact on my parenting, and I am grateful for Kindering to offer such services!”
Click here to register for one or more of these classes.
About the Presenter
Cristina Wheatley, M.Ed., IMH-E®
Cristina currently works as the Parent Education and Family Support Manager at Kindering. She has over 30 years’ experience working in early childhood education in a variety of settings. Her career goal is to provide information, support and coaching so that children and their families can be healthy, happy and thriving. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors in the beautiful Pacific Northwest – hiking, cycling, skiing, and gardening.
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