You’re not broken – You’re just overloaded.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything right but still running on fumes – you’re not alone.
Most parents I meet aren’t failing; they are just exhausted by systems that don’t actually work for them.
You want to be patient, but sometimes it’s not easy to do.
Between work deadlines, endless chores, and the invisible mental list of things to do that keep you up at night worrying – there’s no way to calm down.
I have been working with busy parents for literally decades and I have watched loving, dedicated parents try to “manage” their stress. They were doing all the “right” things – and still burning out.
I saw that the problem wasn’t their effort – it was the system and their expectations that was causing them to be so overwhelmed.
When parents simplify what’s underneath the chaos – the obligations, expectations, and hidden stressors – everything shifts.
That’s when calm stops being a fleeting feeling and becomes a way of life.
I help parents go beyond coping with stress. I help them start managing their stressors differently. I help them uncover the root causes of their stress, redesign their routines, and strengthen their family relationships.
Best wishes to you and your family,
Jennifer Watanabe
jennifer@resourcesforparenting.com
206-399-4355 okay to text
I’ll never tell you to “just breathe” or “try to relax,” as if that is all that you need to do to cope with your stress.
Instead, I’ll help you identify your stressors and guide you as you discern what changes you need to make. I will help you create an action plan for making those changes. Then I will support you as you use your plan to make those changes that will lead to a less stressful life.
This isn’t about adding more to your list of “to-dos.” It’s about removing what’s not working, what doesn’t belong there anymore. It’s also about finding ways to live a more calm and peaceful life.
Hello,
I am a wife and a mom of two grown sons. I am a long-time parent coach and parent educator.
My mission to support parents as they find easier ways to parent and to make their family life better. I do not use an impersonal AI formula that tells parents to “do this, do that.” I offer a personal, caring approach that supports parents as they simplify and transform their lives.
I’ve spent nearly three decades guiding busy parents helping them to make their family life better. I’ve worked with hundreds of parents over the years, offering support that’s practical, encouraging, and never judgmental.
My approach is based upon my many years of parenting my sons who are now 32 and 28 years of age. The wisdom I’ve gained has helped me strengthen my relationship with them.
I specialize in strengthening family relationships. I’ve seen how families can get stuck in patterns of misunderstanding and frustration. I offer ways to improve communication, increase understanding, establish healthy boundaries, and resolve conflict and disagreements more peacefully, respectfully, and more effectively.
I understand the desire to have a happy family life, even when it is not easy.
Every family has its own challenges. For me, when my sons were young, I always felt so stressed! I was a working parent and felt the need to “do it all!” I had to find better ways to manage our family’s home and schedule.
Along the way I got support and guidance that helped me parent the way that I had always dreamed of and to take care of my family with less stress. This support and guidance made all the difference. It made me a better parent and a better person. I found ways to have a happier family.
For nearly 30 years I’ve helped busy parents and grandparents make their family life better. My life experiences inspired me to do this work. I’ve taught positive parenting classes for many years, including teaching for 24 years for Bellevue College in Washington state.
A bit about me: I am a quiet, serious person who is passionate about the well-being of everyone in the family. In 2020 I graduated from a MBSR program, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program. Participating in this program helped me help myself manage my stress differently. This then led me to find more ways to manage my stressors differently.
I first learned about the effects that stress can have on one’s physical health over 32 years ago. When my oldest child was about three months old, I got Bell’s Palsy. This is a partial facial paralysis which goes away for most people; however, it never completely went away for me. Today, you will see it in my left eye as a long blink. There can be different reasons for Bell’s Palsy to happen. It could be caused by a virus or stress. From what I’ve learned, no one knows for sure. For me I will always think of its cause as a response to a very stressful night before the morning I woke up with this condition.
Let’s schedule a time for us to talk. We will find out if I can help.
I do wish your family well.
Best regards,
Jennifer
jennifer@resourcesforparenting.com
206-399-4355 okay to text
The guide for my parent coaching is Positive Discipline which is a research-based, positive parenting approach. In positive parenting discipline means to teach. This approach is about parenting, teaching, in a kind and firm way and is recommended by health care providers. This non-punitive approach is not permissive. It is encouraging.
“Encourage” comes from the Old French word “encouragier,” which is a derivative of “corage,” meaning “heart.” When we are encouraging, we are giving our heart.
President Theodore Roosevelt said: “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
Encouragement strengthens family relationships.
I also appreciate University of Washington’s Dr. John Gottman’s research on emotion coaching which begins with validating emotions.
The most important thing to me about how I parented/taught, my boys when they were young and how I interact with them now, has always been to have a good relationship with each of them, not just to be their friend, but to be friendly, kind, loving, and encouraging. Thankfully, after all of these years I do have a good relationship with each son.
With the guidance of my encouragers, I found ways to have a happier family.