the summer struggle
announcements
Building After-School Programs to Support Kids with Disabilities
Friday, September 4, 2026 | 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM PST
Online
This session helps program leaders design systems that support youth with disabilities, mental health challenges, trauma, and other complex needs. Program leaders will examine how policies, staff training, program design, supervision, and responses to challenging behavior can increase safety, regulation, and belonging so ALL students can learn, play, and thrive.
Using real-world scenarios and a practical organizational assessment, leaders will identify gaps in their current systems and develop concrete next steps for improvement.
Use the code “GUEST” at check-out to attend for free!
the heart of the matter: the summer strugle
This time of year is always a bit confusing for me. It’s the first week of school for my kids, marking autumn’s unofficial start. But the weather in San Francisco is warming up and tomatoes are hitting peak deliciousness. We are leaving behind wonderful weeks of summer frolicking, but the sun sets late, making early bedtime a chore.
My family spent much of July and August in nature. Blue Lakes is my favorite place in California. We drive about two hours from the City and submerge ourselves in a different world.
The small lake is perfect for swimming on hot summer days. You can rent pricey electric boats or travel economy in an inner tube. The fish are hungry. My youngest caught and released about 20 bluegills. We didn't manage to hook any "dinner fish." No one told the trout that they were supposed to like the salmon roe on our hooks.
We retreat here to give our kids vivid memories of slow summer days: splashing with their cousin, jumping off rope swings, surviving the trauma of putting worms on hooks.
We are escaping the City. The grind. And, ideally, our devices.
Even in this idyllic little world, my kids can't shake their desire to get back on screens. In every lull, one of them calls out, “Dad, can I use your phone/ watch Youtube/ turn on the tv/ play a videogame?” I want to leave our phones behind when we set out on the boat but my husband wants to take pictures.
At night, exhausted from the day's adventures, the kids ask to watch TV. Falling asleep during a family movie seems like a perfect cap to a great day. Except we can't agree on a movie. We bicker until eventually the kids devise a plan for everyone to be satisfied on a different screen.
I spend all year imagining these slow days together. Then they arrive and I find us bickering over screens. Can we please get in the water? Look at the stars? Find joy in a Youtube-less moment?
Soon enough, I won't have much say over how they spend their summers. AP courses, internships, and crushes will crowd out the time to sit on a dock with Dad. I'll lose the power to push us all to immerse ourselves in woods, water, and IRL joy.
I hope these summers are planting something. Rejecting technology may be my old man fantasy. But I hope their bodies remember floating in cool water on a hot afternoon. Sitting beside someone you love without much to say. I hope they can stare at a fishing line for twenty minutes, hoping that dinner fish will finally bite today.
stories of hope
I watched Everybody Dance on a plane and DAMN I’m glad I did. This is a beautiful documentary of five kids with disabilities who participate in an after-school ballet program. Their teacher models what it’s like to make accommodations and also support kids to break through their own perceived limits. Get your Kleenex ready for that big cathartic cry. It’s free on Youtube.
my regular rant against screen time
Instead of a rant, I have two bits of good news.
Fight the Algorithm! Illinois passed a new law banning social media companies from using kids’ viewing history to create addictive feeds. It also strengthens privacy protections and blocks notifications between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. This was a rare bipartisan agreement: maybe keeping kids from endless scrolling is something we can all get behind.
We’ve seen a slate of successful lawsuits against Big Tech for designing algorithms that addict young people. FundIRL exists to ensure that some of this money goes into funding youth programs. Please become a member (it’s free) to stay updated and to ensure resources go into your community programs!
we’re obsessed with
More dance! This article explores an after-school program in Los Angeles that uses dance to combat anxiety and stress.
I want these reading nooks in every classroom. They are cute, comfortable, and great spaces for kids to retreat to when they need help with regulation.
Shoutout to the Inclusion Leaders and Assistant Site Supervisors at YMCA San Diego! We led a powerful session on Supporting Kids with Big Feelings and Big Behaviors, sharing practical strategies for emotional regulation, smoother transitions, and supporting youth with ADHD, autism, and trauma.
We brought our new workshop, Teaching Behavior Skills to Kids with Disabilities, to the team at Creativity Explored! Together, we explored how staff can stay grounded in tough moments, how to identify the specific skills kids need to build, and how to teach those skills over time.
Big News! 🎥 We’ve wrapped production on the Inclusion Jumpstart Series with BAVC Media—a new video training for all DCYF youth programs in San Francisco! As a lead partner, The Village Well is bringing our "Brain-First" framework citywide, shifting the focus from simple compliance to true regulation, connection, and belonging. The videos will be available soon—stay tuned for the release!
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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