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

December 2024

The Power of Family Routines and Rituals

Routines help young children feel safe, develop life skills, and build healthy habits. Family rituals and routines are also powerful tools to nurture deep emotional bonds and encourage open communication and understanding among people. Join the discussion as we share how to incorporate both into our family and learning communities.

When: Tuesday, December 3, 2024, from 6:00 – 7:30pm

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Presenter: 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: Monday, December 9, 2024, from 6:30 – 7:30pm

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Presenter: Cristina Wheatley, M.Ed.

STARs hours 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.