Grit: Hand-made
announcements
First, a big thank you. After my last newsletter, I received so many emails and texts offering support, appreciation, and care. Many of you shared stories of mental health challenges in your family. I feel wrapped in love.
Thank you as well to those of you who responded to our “big announcement” and connected us to folks in the disability support community. You’ve given me amazing connections! Please keep them coming.
TL;DR version of that big announcement: The Village Well is evolving into an organization that supports families and organizations raising and working with kids with disabilities. Please connect us with the folks you know in that space!
Autism Unpacked: Your 30-Minute Lunchtime Insight
Friday, November 14, 2025 | 12 PM to 12:30 PM
Free | Open to all
Parents: Are you wondering if your child might be on the spectrum? Have you recently received a diagnosis and are feeling unsure of the next steps?
Providers: Are you working with kids on the spectrum and want information and support?
All: Do you simply want to better understand autism?
Join The Village Well for a free, engaging virtual workshop designed for families, educators, and youth service providers.
The Village Well Founder, Ed Center, will interview Karla Chinen, author, podcast host, and founder of Empathy for Autism. As someone who has autism and is raising a child on the spectrum, Karla offers unique and practical insights on:
What autism is and how it shows up in daily life.
How to advocate for kids on the spectrum with confidence and compassion.
This is a valuable opportunity to gain clarity and practical tools directly from an experienced voice.
Note: The presentation portion of the workshop will be recorded and shared with registrants, but the Q&A session will not be recorded to ensure a safe space for questions.
the heart of the matter
In our house, Sundays are sacred. Not for church (sorry Mom), but for something else holy: No-screen Sunday mornings. That means no blue-lit dopamine hits. Just pancakes, the cats, and the hum of “I’m bored” echoing through the house.
Last Sunday, my 8-year-old decided he was going to build a mechanical hand from one of those STEM learning kits that promise 90 minutes of fun but actually contain enough small, fitted, parts to launch a small nation’s space program.
He opened the box with the enthusiasm of a young inventor. I thought, This is going to be great. Thirty minutes later, I was the designated piece assembler and peace maker. He barked out instructions, “Get me part B-12!” while I combed through cardboard confetti trying to find the elusive piece that was stuck to the underside of a cat.
There were moments of frustration and even despair. One finger bent the wrong way. A rubber band snapped and whizzed past my face. At one point he cried, “This is NEVER GOING TO WORK!” and flopped onto the couch.
I reminded him, “Impossible just means not yet.” He rolled his eyes but a few minutes later returned to the table.
We took snack breaks. We negotiated peace treaties. Piece by piece, he built the thing, one joint, one small victory at a time. On Monday morning, after hours and hours of trial and error, he slipped his hand into the contraption, flexed his new robotic fingers, and grinned. He had done it. He was so proud as he caught and threw a ball with the hand!
We don’t give kids enough time or space to fail and endure. Adults have gotten the sense that we are defined by productivity and we build our kids’ days the same way. We overschedule them. Screens fill every pause. Frustration gets cut short by distraction. Grit doesn’t grow when things come easy. It grows when the project is hard, the rubber bands snap, and the cat steals part C7.
That mechanical hand was a tiny laboratory of growth mindset. My son learned that persistence matters more than perfection. That effort; sweaty, tearful, effort, is what builds both hands and hearts that don’t give up.
I was reminded that when the screens turn off, curiosity turns back on. It’s not always peaceful, but it’s always worth it.
Next Sunday, we’ll go screen-free again. I’ll try to steer him toward chess rather than building. But I’ll have coffee, patience, and a box of spare rubber bands ready, just in case.
Reflection: When was the last time your child (or you) had the time to struggle through something challenging? Growth doesn’t always look calm—it often looks like rubber bands flying and deep breaths between attempts.
Maybe this week, try a little time without screens and see what grows in the not-so-quiet space between “I can’t” and “I did.”
we’re obsessed with:
I bought a copy of Nervous by Jen Soriano. Essay collections are great for readers with ADHD like me. I get that satisfying dopamine hit of accomplishment after 20 minutes or so. Soriano writes about the body, trauma, and healing in a way that made me pause, breathe, and think about my own family’s stories. Like a good Taylor Swift song, her writing is specifically personal and universal (I’m an unironic Swiftie). These stories are an invitation to understand ourselves and each other with more compassion.
This commercial from Panda Express has me ⚰️☠️. My kids are 🤣as well, because they see both their Filipino grandmas in this 60 second bit.
where we’ve been
We celebrated Filipino American History Month in style at San Francisco City Hall on October 23, 2025! My kiddo and I dressed up in traditional Barong - Filipino formal wear. The night included an address by Mayor Daniel Lurie, and awards to community leaders: shoutout to my friend, emerging leader Kiki Lopez!. It concluded with City Hall illuminated in the Philippine flag colors—a truly memorable night!
Book a workshop for your school or organization.
Bring The Village Well to your school or organization. We provide powerful, interactive and fun workshops for parents and/or staff. Learn more.
Ed Center, the founder of The Village Well, is a parenting coach and educator certified in the Triple P method. The Village Well is a community of parents in BIPOC families, focused on attaining more joy, calm, and meaning in family life. We coach parents to prioritize their own healing and wellness, deepen connections with their kids, and learn tools to support better behavior. Services include Parenting workshops, Parenting courses, and community events. Our support is culturally-grounded support and honors your unique family. Ready to stop yelling? Schedule a free consultation with one of our team members.
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