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OCTOBER 2026 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz
Features Features
75
Meet Our Baby xxxung Voters Contest Winners Lagging at Polls
7 12
New Homes for xxunity Mountain Local Teachers Gym Finds Home in Felton
22 24
Healthy Smiles xxm Near Start Before Birth Drowning to Olympian
16 14
COME WORK WITH US
Editor’s Note.......................................4 Community Voice ..............................4 Teacher’s View....................................6 On the Cover .....................................5 Women’s View Health. .................................8 Teacher’s ...................................6 Pregnancy & Birth Guide....................10 Women’s Health .................................8 Coloring Contest Winners..................12 Back-to-School Guide ........................10 Coloring Contest................................13 Coloring Contest Winners .................14 Mental Health. ....................................16 Coloring Page ....................................15 Positive Discipline Parenting..............17 Mental Health ....................................18 Community........................................21 Positive Discipline Parenting .............19 All About Animals..............................23 Book Reviews. .....................................25 All About Animals .............................25 Cooking Up with Kids..............................26 Growing Curious .........................28
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EDITOR||PUBLISHER PUBLISHER EDITOR
BradKava Kavaand andSteve SteveDinnen Dinnen Brad
ARTDIRECTOR DIRECTOR||MANAGING MANAGINGEDITOR EDITOR ART
NathanMixter Mixter Nathan
DISTRIBUTION & SUBSCRIPTIONS DISTRIBUTION & SUBSCRIPTIONS
Susan Bernstein Susan Bernstein
CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS MJ Reynoso, Susan Tatsui-D’Arcy, Gwyneth
MJ Reynoso, EvelynMenard, Roberts,David Erika Larstein, Costanzo, Holcomb, Monica Susan Arcy, Gwyneth Holcomb, TovahTatsui-D’ Petra Kolodinski, Colleen Murphy,Monica Sara Menard, StevenS.Weiss, Tovah Petra Kolodinski, Balla, William Woodhams, Richard Stockton, Tarmo Hannula, Luis, John Louis Elizabeth Borelli,Celine TarmoSan Hannula, Sheree Storm, Koenig Primavera Hernandez, Celine San Luis, John Louis Koenig, Sarah RinglerPARTNERSHIPS MASTER OF COMMUNITY MASTER OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS Bobbi Jo Palmer Bobbi Jo Palmer AD REPRESENTATIVES AD REPRESENTATIVES Ann Fitts Sophie Veniel Bob Pursley, Ann Fitts, Sophie Veniel, Bob Pursley, Monica Gutierrez Monica Gutierrez advertising@growingupsc.com advertising@growingupsc.com CONTACT US CONTACT US 408.656.1519 408.656.1519 editor@growingupsc.com editor@growingupsc.com P.O. P.O.Box Box3505, 3505,Santa SantaCruz, Cruz,CA CA95063 95063
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Growing GrowingUp UpininSanta SantaCruz Cruzcopyright copyright2025. 2025.Printed Printedininthe theU.S.A. U.S.A.AllAllviews views expressed expressedrepresent representthose thoseofofthe theindividual individualauthors. authors.The Thecontents contentsofof this thispublication publicationare aremeant meantasasinformation informationonly onlyand andshould shouldnot nottake take the theplace placeofofaamedical medicaldoctor’ doctor’ssrecommendations. recommendations.AllAllrights rightsreserved. reserved. Reproductionininwhole wholeororininpart, part,ininany anyform, form,electronic electronicororotherwise otherwiseisis Reproduction prohibitedwithout withoutpermission permissionbybythe thepublisher. publisher.This Thispublication publicationdoes does prohibited notknowingly knowinglyaccept acceptdeceptive deceptiveorormisleading misleadingadvertising. advertising. not
Fromparenting parentingtoto From localevents eventstoto local monthlyguides guidesand and monthly everythingininbetween. between. everything
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Editor’s Note
Little Faces, Big Reasons to Care
Even small changes can make a BIG difference. Triple P is a scientifically-proven, world-renowned positive parenting program available to families in Santa Cruz County. Triple P strategies address a wide range of parenting challenges by providing a toolbox of easy-to-use tips. Find a full schedule of Triple P tips and classes at triplep.first5scc.org. This program is made possible through a partnership between First 5 Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency (MHSA - Prop 63 funds) & Santa Cruz County Human Services Department.
INFORMATION: First 5 Santa Cruz County 831.465.2217 triplep@first5scc.org • triplep.first5scc.org
Catch the Social Media Wave Don’t miss the Growing Up in Santa Cruz videos on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. To promote your business to thousands of viewers in the area each week, email editor@growingupsc.com or call (408) 656-1519.
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OCTOBER 2026 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz
My favorite page in most every issue is our coloring page, but this month, it’s the babies. I love, love, love people who photograph their kids and then inspire people to vote for their favorite pic. Maybe we should just do full pages of the kids’ pics,,,, But there are some serious issues in this issue. On the positive front, there’s a great profile of some Santa Cruz builders, Bogard Construction, who are building affordable homes for teachers. What could be more important? Teachers can barely afford to live in the communities they serve, and no matter what the administrations try, it’s not enough. Call me naive or idealistic, but teachers should be paid and treated like athletes. We pay mediocre baseball and football players millions and millions to play, while teachers get by on couch change. Can anyone tell me why this is right? Maybe it would be a step in the right direction if teachers were paid the way school administrators are with healthy six-figure salaries with plenty of benefits. So we salute Bogard for building something well that we really need. They deserve recognition. Another story that calls out to me is by Elizabeth Borelli, titled, “What to do When People Don’t Like You”. Is there a parent who hasn’t had to deal with that question? Borelli has some good advice. We also salute Jim Booth for donating swim lessons for babies. My son started there and he managed to get up on a surfboard six times, his first time out at 10, with no fear. Thanks, Jim. We’ve got a few stories about AI that are so important. Susan Tatsui D’Arcy give advice on how to make sure your kid isn’t getting fooled by it, and pianist David Larstein suggests why the real thing is so much better than the all-too-perfect artificial one.
Want to really open your kids’ minds? Check out the ads inside for both the Santa Cruz and San Jose symphonies. One of the best things I ever did as a parent was to bring my kid to hear live music performed. It was a struggle at first, because he wanted to talk and some of the older listeners didn’t want to hear him. I understand. But now, he has an appreciation for real music by real people you can’t get in an era of screens and digital effects. I promise, if you read through every page in this issue, you’ll find great things. One last request: Two local families are asking for voters in contests that will earn their kids $25,000. Eleven-year-old surfer Hunter Wegner is up for athlete of the year at Sports Illustrated, and he’s getting votes and needs more to get into the magazine. You can vote here. It’s just a click away. athleteoftheyear.org/2026/hunter2a45 And guess what? He’s writing a column for us next month about youth surfing. And a baby named Indy is up for a Baby of the Year contest. The boy and his family struggled in the NICU unit when he wouldn’t open his eyes for five days, but he overcame and is thriving. You can vote for him here: babyoftheyear. org/2026/indy-bf41. Let’s do this Santa Cruz. Put our kids on top!! A last positive note, speaking of the NICU: we honor nurse Joyce Pearce, who has been making care packages for newborns at Watsonville Community Hospital for 43 years. That is so important for our community and she should be rewarded like a starting quarterback. Oh yeah, she’s 90!!! These are the people who make our county so great. Thanks for reading, Brad Kava Editor and Publisher
ON THE COVER
Baby Contest Winners
Runners-Up
Do you have a cool drawing or an amazing story you’re super proud of? Well, guess what? Now’s your chance to share it with everyone! Think about something you love. It could be a favorite place, a fun activity, or an unforgettable moment in Santa Cruz County.
Thank you to everyone who submitted entries and voted in our annual baby photo contest. Congratulations to Mai from Santa Cruz who was voted as the winner. We can’t wait to see your entries again next September.
If you love drawing, grab your markers, crayons, or pencils and create a picture that shows what makes that thing so special. If storytelling is your thing, write a story that brings your memories to life! Tell us what makes it awesome and why it means so much to you.
Damian, Aptos
Jamari,Santa Cruz
Kylie, Santa Cruz
All entries receive a set of baby swim passes courtesy of Jim Booth.
Here’s the coolest part: You could win a prize! Each month, we’ll pick some of the most fantastic drawings and stories to feature right here. We can’t wait to see what you come up with! Email submissions to editor@growingupsc.com
HEY KIDS!
Lane, Santa Cruz
Milio, Soquel
GrowingUpSC.com | OCTOBER 2026
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TEACHER’S VIEW
Is Your Child Confiding in an AI Chatbot? BY SUSAN TATSUI-D’ARCY Parents have always worried about who their children talk to online. Now there is a new concern: What if the person your child trusts most isn’t a person at all? Children and teens are turning to artificial intelligence chatbots for help with homework, friendship problems, family conflicts, anxiety, dating, and depression. Some talk to chatbots every day and begin to think of them as friends or counselors. Unlike a real friend, a chatbot is available 24 hours a day. It doesn’t get tired of listening, get jealous, or say it is too busy. It can remember details and respond in ways that feel reassuring. That may feel comforting. But chatbots don’t actually care about our children. They don’t understand emotions, recognize danger the way a responsible adult would, or know the whole story behind a child’s question. They generate responses from data and are designed to keep children engaged and conversations going. A confident answer isn’t necessarily a correct or safe answer. On September 10, Governor Gavin Newsom signed laws protecting children from social media and artificial intelligence. They require safeguards for AI companion chatbots, including
parental controls, safety assessments, crisis protocols, and notifications when safety settings are disabled. These protections are an important start, but laws cannot monitor what happens in our homes. Parents need to know how their children are using AI. Start by asking, not accusing. Ask your children if they use ChatGPT or chatbots, what they ask, and how often they use them. Try saying, “Show me something interesting you asked AI this
week.” This opens the door without making your child feel interrogated. If we immediately criticize or punish children, they will hide their AI use. We want them to tell us when a chatbot says something strange, frightening, sexual, manipulative, or wrong. Watch for changes in behavior. Is your child spending long periods talking with a chatbot? Do they become upset when access is interrupted, call the chatbot a best friend, prefer AI to family and friends, or hide conversations? One sign doesn’t necessarily mean danger, but it calls for a conversation. Every family should establish guidelines now. Children should never give a chatbot their full name, address, school, phone number, passwords, medical information, or photographs. They should not use AI to diagnose a mental health condition. Information shared with an online service may be stored or used in ways the family never intended. Make it clear that if a child feels depressed, unsafe, threatened, or unable to cope, they need to talk to a real person. That might be a parent, teacher, counselor, doctor, coach, relative, or another trusted adult. AI can help brainstorm a science project, explain a math concept, or edit
an essay. It should not replace human relationships or make serious decisions for a child. We cannot ban every new technology and expect children to avoid it. AI is already part of education and workplaces. Our job is to teach them to use it safely and responsibly. Sit beside your child and try a chatbot together. Ask a question and check the answer. Ask for advice and discuss whether it makes sense. Show your child that AI can make mistakes and sound certain when it is wrong. Remind your child that no chatbot can replace a parent’s love, a friend’s loyalty, or the judgment of a caring adult. Technology changes. Our children still need what they have always needed: attention, conversations, clear boundaries, and adults who listen. Give your child a bear hug and tell them you love them. Susan Tatsui-D'Arcy is the founder of Merit Academy (one-on-one classes) and Merit Educational Consultants (college and educational advisory). She has written books on projects, free child care, education, and parenting. Susan hosts TEDxMeritAcademy for students to present their innovative projects and solutions. In 2019, she was California Mother of the Year.
HALLOWEEN COSTUME Tricks & Treats
Halloween doesn’t have to be scary expensive. Between costumes, decorations, candy, and parties, Halloween spending can sneak up fast. A little creativity can keep the fun high and the cost low. Decorations that cost next to nothing: • • •
Floating ghosts: Stuff an old white pillowcase or scrap fabric with crumpled paper, tie underneath, add a face, and hang with string. Paper bag lanterns: Cut spooky faces into lunch bags and use LED tea lights. Cardboard tombstones: Cut up old shipping boxes, paint them gray, and add silly names. Costumes from what you already have: • • • •
Raining Cats & Dogs: Raincoat + umbrella with stuffed cats and dogs hanging from it. Robot: Cardboard box + aluminum foil + bottle caps or paper “buttons.” Spelling Bee: Yellow and black clothes + homemade wings + letters taped all over the outfit. Ceiling Fan: Regular clothes + pom-poms + a homemade sign that says “GO CEILING!”
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OCTOBER 2026 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz
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EDUCATION
A Place for Teachers to Call Home BY GWYNETH HOLCOMB Over the past decade, 127 teachers left Santa Cruz City Schools because they couldn’t afford to live in the county, and 95% of job offers were declined for the same reason, according to the district. To alleviate the cost-of-living burden on local teachers and improve retention rates, Santa Cruz City Schools broke ground on the district's first educator housing community last March. The project, at 313 Swift Street, will house at least 100 district teachers and classified staff at 60-70% of market rates. “We simply plan on providing the biggest discount we can afford while still paying off the property in 30 years,” said District Communications Officer Sam Rolens. The average rent in Santa Cruz is over $3,000 a month—approximately 70% higher than the national average, according to Zillow. A fully credentialed teacher in the district can earn a base salary of between $66,350 and $123,120 a year, according to the district's salary schedules. Housing is a challenge for new teachers and staff to remain in the district longterm, said incoming Greater Santa Cruz Federation of Teachers president and Santa Cruz High School teacher Conor O'Brien. “We’ve become something of a teacher farm,” said O'Brien. “We train up teachers that are excellent, but then they’re gone.” With this new development, the union is excited to have this option available to teachers in the near future, added O'Brien. “Dedicated housing for teachers will surely help us retain staff, which benefits students and the community at large.” The planned 4-story building on the Westside of Santa Cruz is expected to be completed in the summer of 2028 and is currently estimated to cost the district just under $86 million, according to a district update this past March. The development promises to include approximately 100 units, including 11 studios, 28 one-bedroom units, 50 twobedroom units, and 11 three-bedroom units, for both the district's certificated teachers and classified support staff, according to the Santa Cruz City Schools’ press release this past March. The project will also include additional site improvements and the renovation of two existing buildings on the four-acre property, according to a press release from Bogard. The project is being funded by bond measures K and L, which passed in 2022, totaling $371 million, according to Rolens. The district currently estimates that approximately $40 million of the bonds will go toward the housing project, said Rolens. He explained that to pay off the remaining costs, the district plans to issue a Certificate of Participation—the mechanism that allows a school district to take in funds to be repaid over time. The project used the Teacher Housing
Jared Bogaard, Ryan Bogaard and Dave Sullivan at 313 Swift Street. Photo: Gwyneth Holcomb
Act of 2016, which assists California school districts in establishing affordable housing for employees, as a reference in creating the legal framework with the City of Santa Cruz, said Rolens. Bogard Construction, along with architect firms EHDD and Studio VARA, officially joined the project in October 2023, according to the district timeline. The idea of creating dedicated educator and staff housing was partly driven by the goal of reducing the financial burden on staff, within the limits of what the district was legally and financially able to do. “We want to pay everyone more, and we don’t have any more money,” said Rolens. “So this is one of the things that we’re trying.” According to the district’s records, the site was previously owned by the United States government and was transferred to the district in 1988. “Many of us in our office are products of the Santa Cruz City School District,” said Jared Bogaard, the president of Bogard Construction. (The second “a” in his name is a reference to Victor F. Bogard, his grandfather and founder of Bogard, who dropped the second “a” and later requested the following generations add the “a” back into the name.) “For the local teachers to have something that they can live in at an affordable rate,” said Bogaard. “It's just nice to be part of something like that.” “This is an easy one to get behind,” said Rocamora. “It's sort of like an instant gratification in terms of doing something socially significant for your community.”
During the design process, the Bogard team and the project architect interviewed district teachers and staff to better understand their needs. “We incorporated as much of the elements that were feasible into the design,” said Bogaard, explaining that creating a comfortable and desirable space to live in was one of the main priorities, which also led to some quintessentially “Santa Cruz” requests. “An interesting one in the project that I don't think a lot of other projects take into consideration is wetsuit storage and surfboard storage,” said Bogaard. The project is also the most recent iteration of similar projects in neighboring districts, such as in Mountain View in the Whisman School District, which opened in February 2025 at below-market rates and is only 72% occupied, according to reporting from SFGate. However, according to Rolens, he doesn’t believe this will be a problem and that employee polling indicates strong interest among staff. “If we have a persistent inability to fill a necessary percentage of our units, then we'll try to make memorandums of understanding with other school districts to say, we want to offer this space to your employees as well, running through the same process as what we have,” said Rolens, adding that they are considering keeping several units vacant to offer to teachers and potential employees if needed. Following the completion of the project, the district plans to select potential candidates through a lottery system , the terms of which will be decided
after the district establishes a dedicated committee—expected to be comprised of union representation, human resources staff, and staff representatives—which is planned to be put together for the first time in 2027, said Rolens. “That committee will also be part of the conversation about rents and things like that,” said Rolens. “When we get closer to opening the doors, we’ll be able to get an understanding of what the housing market looks like and how much we’ve spent so that we can set those prices.” Today, the project is well underway, but not without some difficulties, admitted Bogaard. According to Bogaard, the site had a large amount of contaminated soil ,which Bogaard and the district believe stems from the site's history as a property of the United States Government. Getting the site up to code, following guidance from a soils consultant, required removing and replacing it with new soil, a process Bogaard described as complicated and expensive, additionally saying that, once the proper measures are completed, the site will be entirely safe for occupancy. Another complication so far has been that the soft soil on the site does not compact properly, said Bogaard, requiring the team to focus on stabilizing the dirt before building. However, despite the complications, the team seems to be taking it in stride, according to Bogaard, adding that from his perspective “the district has kind of maintained a positive outlook.”
GrowingUpSC.com | OCTOBER 2026
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WOMEN’S HEALTH
Short Workouts Win: The Interval Edge BY MONICA MENARD Certified Personal Trainer and Prenatal Postpartum Specialist
Last month I introduced a way to approach the gym setting with little intimidation. I shared some straight forward explanation and personal trainer tips around beginning that journey by using the machines. This month I’d like to explain how to exercise easily without machines or a gym and improve body composition and metabolism. With the change of season upon us I know it is tempting to hibernate, but with as little commitment as 20 minutes three times a week, health benefits are attainable. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to give the same health benefits as regular exercise in a shorter amount of time. It reduces resting heart rate which means you have a more efficient heart, can improve blood sugar levels, and insulin sensitivity. It can also boost your metabolic rate for hours after exercise. Yes, that means burning more calories than usual for hours afterwards. HIIT is great because you can do these workouts regardless of how fit you are, you can opt for no equipment, and it’s simple
to modify the movement or resistance based on your needs. The idea is to push yourself as hard as possible while doing the exercise, rest when needed for an interval of time and not longer than a minute, then begin again when the same all out efforts can be resumed. Don’t get me wrong, even if it’s short, it is intense. So, join me this month and try some! A few things to keep in mind before hand: Prevent injury by priming the body for exercise with proper warm up. Take at least five minutes walking or performing some body-weight moves until you feel warm. If your fall sweater needs to come off because you feel warm, you’re warmed up. This is what I tell my clients. All you need for a HIIT workout is some floor space and a pair of dumbbells. Then choose the correct weight. Use the front shoulder raise as a test for weight selection. Perform a front shoulder raise with a little difficulty, but can still be repeated many times. (Front shoulder raise is done standing, holding a pair of weights, palms resting on your thighs. From there, lift the arms in-front of you and slightly wider than the shoulders. Bring them back to your starting position) This is the right intensity. The below workout includes 6 moves and a bonus sprint. Doing this with no weight at all is also
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dientes.org 8
OCTOBER 2026 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz
a fine place to start. The bonus section in the workout is suppose to spike your heart rate further for about 30 seconds and is optional. The bonus requires about 1/10th of a mile or 200 meters of space. Use a treadmill, or anything you can come up with to raise your heart rate if these aren’t options for you. (Jumping jacks, jogging in place etc) Complete the circuit as many times as possible in 20 minutes doing 20 reps of each move. For more of a challenge only allow rest periods to be as long as 30 seconds. If this is too difficult, drop the weights, reduce repetitions to 10 of each move or both! Remember your intensity is important so gauge it by the RPE scale. Rate of perceived exertion. 1 = rest 10 = sprint Be sure to be working at about an 8.
THE MOVES
1. Squat over-head 2. Push-up Row 3. Mountain Climbers 4. Lunge with Bicep Curl 5. Plank Front Raise 6. Burpees With Push-up (Not pictured. It is a multiple step move not easily photographed. Do a push up, jump or walk the feet towards the hands and stand up. Repeat.) Bonus Move Sprint for 30 seconds Repeat until you reach 20 minutes. Likely 5 rounds.
If you’d like guidance and tips on form with this workout complimentary, direct message me on my social media, email me, or call. Love to help. Happy workout! Your Trainer, Monica For more information, my free E-guide on how to workout throughout pregnancy, or your free consultation use the QR code
Please mention this article for a free consultation. What is written here is intended solely for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for the advice of your doctor.
Monica Menard is a C.P.T. Certified Personal Trainer and Prenatal Postpartum Specialist. Mention this article for a free consultation.
Open new horizons.
CalPERS members, this Open Enrollment choose a plan that gives you access to Dignity Health. Getting where you need to be in life is easier when the path is open to you. When it comes to healthcare, the Open Enrollment process puts you in control. As you’re comparing health plans this season, consider the advantages of one that connects you to Dignity Health, the largest physician network in Santa Cruz County. Like our more than 200 primary and specialty care providers located in more than 100 locations throughout the region. All backed up by Dominican Hospital’s nationally recognized programs for heart, cancer, obstetrics and other specialties. Find out more at DignityHealth.org/OpenEnrollment.
PREGNANCY AND BIRTH GUIDE Alison K. Jackson, DDS
Children’s Dentistry 7545 Soquel Dr, Aptos 831.662.2900 santacruzkidsdentist.com We are accepting new patients! It’s time for a dental check-up when your child has a first tooth or first birthday. We are preventive-dentistry oriented and we provide comprehensive dentistry in a caring environment for children of all ages. We have a pediatric anesthesiologist on our premises and are able to treat special, challenging children safely and comfortably under a general anesthesia. We have a 24-hour emergency service available for all of our patients. Dientes Community Dental Care
1830 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz 1500 Capitola Road, Santa Cruz 100 Pioneer Street, Suite D, Santa Cruz 55 Penny Lane, Suite 103, Watsonville 1430 Freedom Blvd., Suite C, Watsonville dientes.org Serving Santa Cruz County for over 30 years, Dientes is a trusted nonprofit dental
provider offering comprehensive care for children, adults, and seniors. Our expert team includes pediatric dentists who specialize in caring for kids, and we proudly provide compassionate, bilingual care—¡Se habla español! We offer high-quality dental services, including exams, X-rays, cleanings, fillings, sealants, root canals, and more. We accept Medi-Cal and offer affordable sliding-scale fees for uninsured patients. Dientes: Providing dignity through dentistry. The Family Birth Center Dignity Health Dominican Hospital
555 Soquel Dr, Santa Cruz 831.462.7678 commonspirit.org/find-a-location/familybirth-center-dignity-health-dominicanhospital-811 The Family Birth Center at Dignity Health Dominican Hospital offers comprehensive maternity services in the Monterey Bay area, combining advanced medical care with a comfortable, home-like setting. We are proud to offer 24/7 obstetric emergency care, certified by the State of California. We provide essential services including anesthesia, pediatrician care in our Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), breastfeeding support and vaccinations. You can also capture precious moments with an optional photography service conveniently offered during your hospital stay. Our birth center provides a welcoming environment for families and a commitment to ensuring a positive birth experience with humankindness.
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Symphonic Spooktacular October 24 & 25 A Haunted Night (and Day!) at the Symphony blending iconic film scores like Batman, Star Wars, and Ghostbusters with classical favorites from Wagner, Rossini, and Gounod. Tickets start at $35. Contact us to learn more about our group discounts, our $25 Soundcheck Pass for patrons aged 5–25 (valid for eight Saturday night concerts!), and 50% off for patrons under 17.
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OCTOBER 2026 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz
First 5 Santa Cruz County
831.465.2217 First5scc.org
First 5 Santa Cruz County promotes the healthy development of children from birth to age 5. Parents and caregivers of newborns can contact First 5 to receive a free “Kit for New Parents” with parenting videos, children’s books, information on caring for babies and local resources. First 5 also offers parenting support through the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, a world-renowned program that strengthens families by building positive relationships. To find Triple P classes or quick tips, visit triplep.first5scc.org or facebook. com/triplepscc Jim Booth Swim School
Watsonville 831.722.3500 JimBoothSwimSchool.com Be a water wonder! From our Little Otters swim class for parents and their babies to Aquaphobics, our adult beginner class, the whole family splashes together at Jim Booth Swim School. Little Otters is a gentle introduction to our 94-degree pools that will make you confident that you are guiding your infant to a happy water experience. Our lessons emphasize quality swimming in an exciting class taught by our caring, well-qualified teachers. The whole family can swim at Jim Booth Swim School.
Junebug’s Gym
831.464.BUGS (2847) 3910 Portola Dr, Suites. 2 & 3, Santa Cruz JuneBugsGym.com Did you know? Activities for babies and toddlers that stimulate balance, movement, and core strength activate the brain for higher learning concepts and lead to later success in school. Join us at June Bug’s Gym for Inchworms — our baby development classes — for crawlers to wobbly walkers. Every Monday and Wednesday from 12:15 pm to 1 pm MusicalMe, Inc. offering Music Together™
Locations throughout Santa Cruz and Santa Clara County Call/Text: 831.332.9002 registrar@musicalme.com musicalme.com Before “mama” or “dada,” there’s rhythm. We help you create a nurturing, musical home from the start. Join our Babies Class (birth–8 months) for developmentally appropriate, research-based activities—or bring the whole family to our Mixed-Age Class (birth–5 years). Siblings and grandparents encouraged! Meet local parents, build connection, and watch your child bloom through music. Book your free preview class today.
MUSIC
AI Music and the Illusion of Perfection BY DAVID LARSTEIN The first thing I noticed about AI art, writing, and music was how technically perfect it was. The next thing I noticed after about thirty seconds was how perfectly banal it was. This was a few years ago and now that the novelty has worn off, the reality of AI technical perfection has, I believe, begun to separate those who experience it as something new and amazing from those who see its perfection as soulless and boring. Technical perfection has long been coded into culture as a standard that measures the value of achievement. In athletics - say Olympic gymnastics - the standards of perfection are built into the sport. The look, skill, style and attitude of a performance is judged by a committee using a numbered grading system. Technical perfection is the goal. Classical opera has always maintained a similar high standard of technical performance. Operatic voices are trained like athletes to sing in a way unnatural to the voice, to get the volume and tone needed to reach a large audience. Individual style is suppressed, while the rigor of the tradition is stressed. People not familiar with it sometimes can't tell one tenor from another. But opera is not a celebrity art form, as is popular music.
Before WWI, the voices of operatic singers like Enrico Caruso were considered the gold standard of culture. By 1926 Louis Armstrong, with his gravel voice and original style that broke every rule of classical music, made those standards irrelevant when it came to Jazz and Pop music. And so there was a further cultural split between "high" art and "low" art, between "perfection" and "trash." By the 1940s, radio made personalized style into the new standard. Nobody else
sounded like Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra or Nat Cole. Sure there were imitators, but even they had to have something to make them look and sound a little different. Impersonations were acceptable only as comedy or drag. Up until the 1950s the gatekeepers of the music industry kept the doors closed for anyone who didn't have exceptional talent and technical skill. Then came Rock 'n Roll. Little Richard, like Louis Armstrong, blew the doors off popular music with a sound so primitive and explosive there was no way anyone who considered themselves "cultured" could accept it. Teenagers, of course, loved it. It felt like freedom. For nearly a decade technical perfection was unnecessary. Rock n' Roll was rough, raw, rude and untamed. However, the desire for perfection returned when multitrack recording was introduced in the mid-1960s. The interest in making "perfect" recordings grew as the tech industry contributed all kinds of enhancements. From effects boxes, to rhythm machines and auto-tune apps, the desire for perfection in recording kept advancing until the introduction of AI. With AI, technical perfection is guaranteed. Last year I heard an AI generated R&B song that was flawless in every aspect - perfect production, perfect
performance, perfect arrangements and perfect songwriting. By the second time I listened to it I thought "Wow, so what?" Something about it was too perfect. Maybe this is because it's such a new thing, but from AI music to AI art, video and writing, there is one thing that refuses to go away - a soulless lack of humanity. It sounds, looks and feels like simulation, not something produced by human hands, heart and voice. However, it is indeed technically perfect. Some people like that. The impulse toward perfection will never go away. It is nearly as strong in music as the desire for authenticity. There are those who will never accept AI while others will continue to embrace it. Perhaps there will come a time when no one can tell the difference anymore. I hope not. But no matter what, I'm sure that enough of us will be led by our imperfect hearts, hands, voices and bodies to keep making imperfect human music until we tune into a deeper, more authentic level of perfection than the merely technical. AI, by inhumanly mastering the illusion of technical perfection, may actually be helping us be more human. David Larstein is a songwriter producer who plays and teaches piano in South County Santa Cruz.
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MONDAYS
FRI-SUN 2-4
Hosted Board Game Night. 5-10pm Free. Choose from more than 30 board games with guided teaching, featured games and prizes. Hosted board games run 5-8pm, followed by trivia from 8-10pm. The Cruz Room, Santa Cruz. gamenightcollective.com
Santa Cruz Symphony: United Sounds of America. Free open rehearsal Oct. 2, 7:30-10pm, at Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. Concerts Oct. 3, 7:30pm, at Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, Santa Cruz, and Oct. 4, 2pm, at Henry J. Mello Center, Watsonville. See website for concert prices; $15 student rush tickets with valid student ID, subject to availability. Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with Rhapsody in Blue, music from Star Wars and West Side Story, and more. Concerts for ages 6 and up; all ages welcome at the rehearsal. santacruzsymphony.org/2026-27-concertseason-overview
FRI 2 Week Without Driving Community Celebration. 4-7pm. Free. Explore transportation options with family activities, community organizations, accessibility resources and e-bike test rides. Learn how accessible transportation helps children, older adults and neighbors with disabilities. Capitola Mall Transit Center, Capitola. cruzintogetherscc.org Boulder Creek Treat Walk. 5-8pm. Free. Get an early start on Halloween as downtown artists and merchants share candy and treats with children. Costumes are welcome but optional. Explore local shops and enjoy an evening together in the mountains. Downtown, Boulder Creek. firstfridaybouldercreek.org/events Museum of the Macabre. 5-8pm. Free. Discover nature’s strange and mysterious side with live snakes, taxidermy demonstrations, spooky crafts and a Cabinet of Curiosity exhibit. Costumes are encouraged, and museum admission is free all day. Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Santa Cruz. santacruzmuseum.org/ event/first-friday-museum-of-the-macabre First Fridays Santa Cruz. 5-8pm On the first Friday of every month, Santa Cruz galleries, shops, and cultural venues open their doors to showcase the works of local artists. With a block party-like vibe, the multi-venue event provides an opportunity to discover local creative talent in a fun and festive setting. firstfridaysantacruz.com/ event
SAT 3 Zoom Honk Smash: Touch a Truck. Begins at 10:30am. Free admission and parking. Climb aboard emergency vehicles and construction equipment, meet community helpers and watch giant pumpkins drop from towering heights. Bring a stuffed animal for a checkup at the Teddy Bear Clinic and explore hands-on discovery stations. Capitola Mall, Capitola. sccmod.org/zhs
SAT-SUN 3-4 Open Studios Art Tour: South County. Oct. 3-4. 11am-5pm. Free. Meet local artists and see where paintings, sculpture, ceramics and other artwork take shape. Choose a few studios for a relaxed family outing, using the artist directory to find locations and accessibility information. Participating studios, South Santa Cruz County. santacruzopenstudios.com
SUN 4 Redwood Realms. 11am-7pm. Free entry. Explore a fantasy gathering beneath the redwoods with live-action role-playing battles, Dungeons & Dragons, other roleplaying games and artisan vendors. An outing for families with older children who enjoy imaginative games and medieval adventures. Roaring Camp, Felton. roaringcamp.com/events
TUE 6
Downtown Harvest Festival. Noon4pm. Free admission. Celebrate fall with carnival games, farm animals, live music and seasonal treats. Try wreath making, face painting and other activities at this community celebration presented by the Downtown Association and Santa Cruz Community Farmers’ Markets. Lot 16 and Church Street, Santa Cruz. downtownsantacruz.com/do/harvest-festival-1
Board Game Playtesting. 6-10pm Free. Try new board and card games, test your own prototype, meet local designers and get feedback and game-industry advice. New designers and curious players are welcome. Peoples Coffee, Santa Cruz. meetup.com/playgoldengate
Scotts Valley Multicultural Fair. Noon-4pm. Free admission and activities. Experience cultures from around the world through music, dance, cultural booths, handson activities and a global fashion show. Food vendors offer opportunities to try something new while families celebrate community and connection. Skypark, Scotts Valley. scottsvalleymulticulturalfair.com/fair-info
Gateway School Fall Festival. Time to be confirmed. Activity tickets and food sold separately. Enjoy hayrides, inflatable obstacle courses, face painting, crafts, games and gladiator battles, plus tacos and Penny Ice Creamery treats. Everyone is welcome at this community celebration. Gateway School, Santa Cruz. gatewaysc. org/giving/fall-festival
GUiSC will attempt to update the calendar listings as needed; however, it is the responsibility of the organization listed to provide updated information. GUiSC assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Readers are encouraged to check the accuracy of the information provided. Events that are free or cost less than $10 can be submitted for inclusion in the calendar. GUiSC does not guarantee that a submitted event will automatically be included. Preference is given for events of interest to children and/or parents. Submit entries at growingupsc.com/events/ community/add. Calendar entries must be received by the 15th of the month prior to the month of the event. To find out more about promoting your event further or including a paid event, email advertising@growingupsc.com.
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Santa Cruz Porchfest. Noon-6pm. Free. Neighborhood porches become stages for an afternoon of live music. Walk between performances at your own pace, discover local musicians and enjoy downtown with the family. Bring water and check the performance map to plan your route. Downtown, Santa Cruz. santacruzporchfest.lovable.app
OCTOBER 2026 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz
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FRI-SUN 9-11 Monterey Bay Festival of Birds. Oct. 9-11. Times vary by activity. Free activities available; paid outings require a $20 registration fee plus individual activity fees. Celebrate fall migration through guided bird walks, workshops and community events. Select outings by location, activity level and age suitability. Advance registration is required for field trips. Locations throughout Santa Cruz County and the Monterey Bay region. birdschoolproject.org/festival
SAT 10 Scotts Valley Library Book Sale. 10am-3pm. Items priced individually. Browse gently used books, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, puzzles and games. Find new reading adventures for the family while supporting the library. Scotts Valley Branch Library, Scotts Valley. friendsofsantacruzlibraries.org/scotts-valley Seacliff Village Street Fair. 11:30am4pm. Free admission. Start with the dog parade, then enjoy live music, local vendors, food trucks, crafts and a Kids’ Corner. Bring the family for an afternoon celebrating the Seacliff neighborhood. Broadway, Seacliff Village, Aptos. seacliffimprovement.org Beach Hill Bash. 1-4pm. Free admission. Enjoy live music, local artisans, family activities, food and drinks at the Santa Cruz Hostel’s annual community fundraiser. A raffle and silent auction support efforts to make coastal visits accessible to more students and families. Santa Cruz Hostel, Santa Cruz. santacruzhostel.org
SAT-SUN 10-11 Open Farm Tours. 10am-4pm. $25 per carload for up to five people, covering both days. Meet local farmers and explore working farms while learning how food is grown. South County farms welcome visitors Saturday, followed by North County farms Sunday. Check the activity guide for individual tour schedules. Participating farms, Santa Cruz County. openfarmtours.com Open Studios Art Tour: North County. 11am-5pm. Free. Explore artists’ working spaces throughout North County, from Santa Cruz neighborhoods to mountain communities. Meet the makers, discover different art techniques and let children choose favorite stops from the tour guide. Participating studios, North Santa Cruz County. santacruzopenstudios.com
OCT. 10-25 Thomas and Percy’s Halloween Party. Oct. 10-11, 17-18 and 24-25. 9am5pm; reserve a train departure time. Listed tickets $25-$27; children under 1 free. Parking $10. Dress up for a 25-minute train ride and enjoy pumpkin decorating, character photos, live entertainment, bounce houses and a bubble station. Advance reservations recommended. Roaring Camp, Felton. roaringcamp.com Second Saturday on the Farm. 11am-3pm The Agricultural History Project’s 2nd Saturday events are like taking a step back in time. Grab your cowboy hat and put on your boots and come and enjoy a fun-filled afternoon on the farm. Bring your lunch and enjoy a picnic. aghistoryproject.org/2nd-saturday-on-the-farm
Swing Dancing. 2-5:30pm You will find music, friends, and food while you improve your dancing digs. All levels, and various styles plus a social dance with great ambiance are welcome! Go Join the fun on the Second Saturday evening of each month at the Santa Cruz Wharf stage. cityofsantacruz.com
SUN 11 Welcome Back Monarchs Day. 11am4pm. Free; vehicle parking $10. Welcome the monarch migration with butterflythemed crafts, games, music and family activities. Learn about these remarkable insects and their winter habitat. Butterfly arrival depends on natural conditions, but the celebration offers plenty to explore. Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz. arcg.is/1DDaWH3 Monte Foundation Fireworks Extravaganza. 7:30-9pm event window. Free. Bring a blanket or beach chair and gather for an evening of fireworks above Capitola. Enjoy views from the beach and surrounding village as this community tradition supports local projects and schools. Capitola Beach, Capitola. capitolavillage.com/event/2026-montefoundation-fireworks-extravaganza POW/MIA Watchfire. 5-10pm, Free. Veterans, families, friends and community members are invited to an evening of remembrance, hope and support honoring prisoners of war and those missing in action. Flags may also be brought for respectful retirement. Rio Del Mar Beach, Aptos. vets4vetssantacruz.org/schedule Antiques Faire. 8am-5pm The Santa Cruz Antique Faire is on the 2nd Sunday of every month. Vendors offer an eclectic blend of antiques and unique items, vintage clothing, collectibles and more. Visit the Antique Faire on Lincoln Street between Pacific and Cedar. Artisan Faire. noon-4pm Head to Abbott Square every second Sunday of the month for free live music while you browse handmade jewelry, soap, clothing, and much more! There is always something at these events that has your name on it! abbottsquaremarket.com/events
TUE 13 Gateway School Tour. 9-11am. Free. Explore Gateway’s kindergarten through eighth-grade campus, including Kindy Island, the Life Lab outdoor classroom and middle school learning spaces. Discover how hands-on experiences and student interests shape the school day. Register online for a tour. Gateway School, Santa Cruz. gatewaysc.org/admissions/schedulea-tour
SAT 17
SAT 24
SUN 25
UCSC Harvest Festival. 11am-3pm. $5 general admission; children under 12 free. Celebrate the season with pumpkin painting, cider pressing, tractor rides, flower pressing, face painting and live music. Food trucks and an apple pie bake-off add to the festivities. Bring a reusable water bottle for exploring the farm. UCSC Farm, Santa Cruz. events.ucsc.edu/event/2026-harvestfestival
Boardwalk Chili Cook-Off. Cooking begins at 10am; public tasting at 1pm; awards at 4pm. Free admission; tasting kits $15. Watch amateur and professional cooks compete, then sample chili and vote for your favorite. Each kit includes eight tastes, with a portion of proceeds supporting the Youth Resource Bank. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz. beachboardwalk. com/chili-cook-off
Capitola Village Halloween Parade. 2-3pm; line up at 1:30pm. Join the costume parade behind a fire engine and the Soquel High Senior Band. The route winds through the village to Esplanade Park, followed by trick-or-treating at participating shops. Assemble in Beach & Village Parking Lot 2, Capitola. capitolavillage.com/event/2026capitola-village-halloween-parade
Wilder Ranch Harvest Festival. 11am4pm. Free; vehicle parking $10. Experience an old-fashioned harvest celebration with living history demonstrations, crafts, games, music and heritage apple tasting. Explore the historic ranch and learn about the region’s agricultural past. Rain cancels. Wilder Ranch State Park, Santa Cruz. arcg. is/01qXij0
Thrill the World. 3pm downtown and 4pm at the Wharf. Free to watch. Enjoy costumed dancers performing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” first downtown and then beside the bay. Pacific Avenue and Cooper Street, and Wharf Commons, Santa Cruz. santacruzca.gov/Government/ City-Departments/Parks-Recreation/13Days-of-Halloween-on-the-Wharf-2026
Floating Pumpkin Patch. 4-7pm. Listed admission $20. Make a splash while searching for a Halloween pumpkin in the pool, then decorate it with seasonal crafts. Enjoy swimming, games, prizes and family activities at this aquatic fall celebration. See registration details online. Simpkins Family Swim Center, Santa Cruz. anc.apm.activecommunities.com/ santacruzcountyparks/activity/search/ detail/25200
Hocus Pocus on the Wharf. 6:30pm. Free. Settle in for an outdoor screening of the PG-rated Halloween favorite. Bring chairs, blankets and warm layers for a movie beside the bay. Treats and drinks will be available from nearby businesses. Weather permitting. Wharf Commons, Santa Cruz. santacruzca.gov/Government/ City-Departments/Parks-Recreation/13Days-of-Halloween-on-the-Wharf-2026
Uncork Corralitos. 1-4pm. $50 early bird through October 3; $60 general admission. Children and designated drivers enter free with paid ticket holders. Enjoy live music by the Ripatti Rose Band, food trucks and local wine, beer and cider in a garden setting. Freedom Rotary’s fundraiser benefits Youth Resource Bank, Hospice of Santa Cruz County’s Camp Erin and Watsonville Community Hospital Foundation’s A Safe Start program. Alladin Nursery & Gift Shop, Watsonville. eventbrite.com/e/uncork-corralitos-2026tickets-1860738000449.
SAT-SUN 17-18 Open Studios Art Tour: All County. 11am-5pm. Free. Catch artists you missed or revisit a favorite during the final tour weekend. About 250 studios reopen across the county, offering another chance to meet artists and explore their creative spaces. Check the directory for participating locations. Artist studios, Santa Cruz County. santacruzopenstudios.com
Troop 505’s Takeaway Lunch Fundraiser. 11am-2pm. $20 per plate. Pick up a lunch of barbecued chicken, rice, beans, salad and a small sweet treat while supporting local Scouts attending Hi-Sierra Summer Camp in 2027. Troop parents prepare the meals, with the event hosted by Pajaro Valley Service & Leadership Foundation. Redeem tickets during the pickup window at 936 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville. zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/ innagural-to-go-lunch-plate.
SAT 31 Halloween Mask Making. 10am-5pm. Free. Drop in to decorate a mask inspired by animals, nature or something spooky. All ages are welcome to make a creative addition to their Halloween costumes. Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Santa Cruz. santacruzmuseum.org/event/ free-craft-mask-making Halloween at the Boardwalk. 11am8pm. Trick-or-treat package $12. Collect candy from participating Boardwalk businesses and enter the costume photo contest. The package includes a collectible candy bag and a $10 MyBoardwalk Card for games. Only trick-or-treat participants need the package. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz. beachboardwalk.com/halloween Aptos Village Halloween Parade. 1-3pm. Free. Put on your favorite costume and join friends and neighbors for a Halloween celebration with candy and festive fun. Gather behind New Leaf Community Market for the Aptos Chamber parade. Aptos Village, Aptos. aptoschamber.com/events-2 Halloween on the Wharf. 3-6pm. Free. Trick-or-treat at Wharf businesses, enjoy the festive photo backdrop and watch a “Thriller” dance performance at 3pm. Families can also take part in the Great Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt, running October 19-31. Santa Cruz Wharf, Santa Cruz. santacruzca.gov/Government/CityDepartments/Parks-Recreation/13-Days-ofHalloween-on-the-Wharf-2026
SUN 18 Downtown Makers Market. 10am-5pm Visit the Downtown Santa Cruz Makers Market featuring 40+ local makers & artists every third Sunday of the month on the 1100 block of Pacific Ave. between Cathcart and Lincoln streets. scmmakersmarket.com GrowingUpSC.com | OCTOBER 2026
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MENTAL HEALTH
Caring for Your Partnership and Your Child BY TOVAH PETRA KOLODINSKI When we talk about supporting children with Autism, ADHD, or other additional needs, most of the conversation understandably centers around the child. We talk about regulation, sensory needs, school, behavior, communication, therapies, and creating environments where children feel understood and supported. All of these things matter. But through my work with children and families, I have become increasingly aware of another relationship that deserves attention: the marriage or partnership between the adults raising that child together. Raising children asks a lot of any relationship. When a child requires additional support, there can simply be more to navigate together. There may be school meetings, appointments, decisions about therapies or services, financial considerations, sleep challenges, sensory needs, sibling dynamics, and questions about what kind of environment will best support the child. Often one person naturally takes on more of the research, scheduling, or communication, while the other carries different responsibilities within the family. Without realizing it, conversations between partners can slowly become centered almost entirely around what needs to happen next. Something I see in my work is that two people can deeply love the same child and still experience that child very differently. This is important. One parent may notice the early signs of sensory overload while the other sees a moment when a boundary needs to be held. One may feel their child needs more space and flexibility, while the other believes more structure would be helpful. One person may want to research every possible approach, while the other learns best by observing their child over time. Difference does not automatically mean that one person understands the child and the other does not. Every adult brings their own individualized history, personality, expectations, and nervous system into parenting. The way we respond when things become stressful is shaped by much more than the moment happening in front of us. Some people move quickly toward solving a problem. Others need time to
process. Some become more protective when their child is struggling, while others focus on independence or consistency. When couples begin to understand these differences in one another, there can be more room for compassion and less pressure to determine who is right. This is one reason I believe coregulation belongs in conversations about marriage and partnership too. We often discuss co-regulation as something adults provide for children, but regulation is relational at every age. Adults influence one another through tone of voice, body language, pace, touch, presence, and the way we respond when another person is having a difficult moment. A calm presence can help settle a room, just as tension can move through a family before a single word is spoken. This does not mean that partners should always remain calm or agree with each other. That would be an unrealistic expectation for any family. It means becoming more aware of what we bring into the relationship, especially during stressful moments. When both adults are overwhelmed, trying to solve a parenting disagreement in that moment rarely brings out the best in either person. Sometimes allowing the moment to settle before returning to the conversation can create an entirely different outcome. There is also a practical side to caring for a relationship while raising a child with additional needs. I don't believe this needs to become another item on a parent's list of things they should be doing better. Time together can happen in very ordinary ways. It may be noticing that your partner has reached their limit and stepping in without being asked. It can be sitting together after the children are asleep, sharing something funny, going for a short walk, making a meal together, or simply having a conversation that has nothing to do with school, appointments, behaviors, or schedules. These moments may seem small, but relationships are often built and maintained through the ordinary. When much of family life requires planning and problem solving, it can be easy for two people to become very effective at running a household while losing some of the friendship and affection that brought them together. Making room for that
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relationship is not separate from caring for the family. It is part of caring for the family. It is equally important to make room for repair. There will be disagreements about parenting. There will be moments when one person reacts from exhaustion or says something they wish they had said differently. A healthy relationship isn't one without conflict. The ability to return, listen, acknowledge what happened, and reconnect matters far more than getting every interaction right the first time. Children also learn something valuable when they experience adults who can disagree, still treat one another with respect, and find their way back to each other. For families raising children with Autism, ADHD, or other additional needs, this can be especially meaningful. Children are often very aware of the emotional environment around them, even when they cannot explain what they are sensing. Felt safety isn't created only through sensory tools, routines, or the way an adult responds directly to a child. It is also influenced by the relationships and rhythms within the home. This is why I continue to return to a Whole Family, Whole Child approach in my work. We cannot fully support a child without recognizing the people and relationships surrounding them. Parents and partners need understanding, rest,
support, and time with one another too. Caring for those relationships does not take attention away from the child. In many ways, it strengthens the foundation around them. As we move into fall and family life settles into another school year, there is value in remembering the relationship that can so easily move into the background. Before becoming advocates, schedulers, researchers, chauffeurs, and problem solvers, there was a relationship between two people. That relationship will change through the seasons of raising children, as all relationships do, but it still deserves care and attention. Supporting the whole child also means caring for the relationships that surround them. Sometimes strengthening a family doesn't begin with another strategy for the child. Sometimes it begins by making a little more room for the two people raising them together. Tovah Petra, MA, is a Trauma Informed Somatic Practitioner, Founder of The Spectrum School, and creator of the Whole Family, Whole Child approach. Her work focuses on supporting children with Autism and strengthening the families and communities that help them grow, rooted in connection. Learn more at www.thespectrumschool.org and www.tovahpetra.com
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POSITIVE DISCIPLINE PARENTING
Raising Secure Kids Takes More Than Good Behavior BY COLLEEN MURPHY
I’ve seen posts about our attachment style pop up constantly on my social media lately: anxious attachment, avoidant, secure. Attachment theory is an interesting conversation, and how great is it that our emotional and mental health is a current conversation?! Do you cling to your partner, run away when you get too close, or stay strong and steady? How do these styles get established in the first place?... I hope you all know the answer by now because, yes, everything does lead back to our childhood. The relationships developed between adults and children set the stage. Children are always observing, interpreting, and deciding who they are, and what relationships and the world in general are like. This idea, drawn from the work of psychologist Alfred Adler (1870-1937), is foundational to Positive Discipline. This means that how adults show up in relationship with children (e.g., distracted and distant, smothering and anxious, harsh and unapproachable, wildly inconsistent, present and available, stable and consistent, or a mixture of all of these) shapes their attachment style.
HOW WE GOT IT WRONG FOR SO LONG
In the early 1900s, psychologists J. Watson, B. F. Skinner, I. Pavlov, and others conducted research that set the groundwork for the 20th century’s understanding of how to raise children. Much of their research was based on animals and, most unfortunately, was applied to people. Animals are trainable and will change their behavior by avoiding unpleasant experiences (punishment) and performing well to gain good experiences (rewards). This is called the behaviorist approach and has been the prevailing, acceptable approach
for over 100 years. This punishmentreward approach uses tools such as spanking, threats, yelling, time-out chairs, sticker charts, shaming, bribes, and empty praise to gain compliance. I’m sure this seemed like a good idea, applying animal research to people. You may wonder what was wrong with this idea, because you can get desired results using these tools. But a purely behaviorist approach also produces undesirable results, including a lack of secure attachment to parents and to future relationship partners. Despite decades of contrary research, the oversimplification of behaviorism still influences us today. Many still believe a misbehaving child stems from a lack of punishment and that the parents are failing in their job.
HUMAN SPIRIT FACTOR
This long-standing approach has a glaring hole, one that A. Adler and R. Dreikurs began to uncover and implement in their work with patients and families in the early 1900s. People have what I call the human spirit within them that doesn’t show up in our relationships with animals. Scientists call this the relational aspect of humans; our complex social needs to feel significant and to belong shape our behavior. We don’t mindlessly follow directions even in the face of punishment, as any parent of a toddler or teen knows. Driekurs studied and wrote extensively about how harsh treatment or loose boundaries can lead to resentment, rebellion, revenge, low self-esteem, sneakiness, entitlement, and disrespectful interactions instead of cooperation.
HOW A PURELY BEHAVIORAL APPROACH UNDERMINES SECURE ATTACHMENT If people focus only on observable
behavior, they ignore internal emotional struggles and unmet relational (safety and love) and/or biological (food and sleep) needs; children with unmet needs find it much harder to develop security and trust. The limitations to behaviorism that inhibit development of secure attachments include: * Overlooked emotional needs and bonding - internal emotional states are ignored, impacting the development of secure attachments. * Overemphasis on external behaviors - the quality of the relationship is also important. Complex relationships are reduced to stimulus-response patterns. * Reduced empathy - when the caregiver focuses on behavior, they miss empathizing with a child who is an underdeveloped, unskilled human, affecting their sense of safety; children learn that mistakes lead to disconnection. * Good behavior becomes the sole goal - this does not mean that trust and emotional safety are being experienced. Stopping a behavior without understanding what the child is thinking and feeling internally tells a child that pleasing an adult is more important than their relationships.
HOW TO DEVELOP A SECURE ATTACHMENT STYLE IN YOUR CHILD
Seek out resources that emphasize a relationship-based, authoritative style of parenting, one that is not so firm that bonding can’t develop fully and not so gentle that children fail to develop awareness of others' boundaries, preventing others from bonding with them. Positive Discipline is one such program, weaving kindness and firmness into every tool it offers. Here are a few foundational tools for you to implement, suggested by an online article: * Consistent responses to your child’s emotional and physical needs: You
don’t need to be perfect, but being as consistent as you can builds trust. * Consistently respond to undesirable behavior, not in haphazard displays of anger, but in clear, respectfully firm responses. Make consequences related to the situation, not random or unpredictable reactions in the heat of the moment. * Display loving, physical touch and/ or daily eye contact no matter the age of your child. (Exceptions can be made for kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder who may find this uncomfortable.) Do this not in a distracted way, but fully present. These are cornerstones of secure attachment. * Create daily morning and bedtime routines. Life becomes predictable. Predictability equates to a relaxed nervous system. * Offering time and space to safely explore the environment or to take responsible risks, whether that is climbing up a slide or learning to drive. Simultaneously provide a soft spot for them to return to after expanding out into the world. * Model emotional regulation as consistently as you can, which significantly influences children’s attachment security. Be authentically joyful, sad, upset, angry, silly, or irritated within healthy parameters.
RESOURCES ARE READILY AVAILABLE
I think more than ever, we’ve come to realize the profound importance of those early years and the lifelong impact of healthy or unhealthy parental attachment styles. However, more work remains on how to implement this knowledge. For me, Positive Discipline has been my guiding light. Locally, Positive Discipline Community Resources can help you give your child a secure attachment style through classes, play groups, book studies, and one-onone support, fully funded and free to you. Reach out with your needs, and let us find a way to get you the support and tools you need. Resources: M. Lynch. (2026) The Edvocate. Build Secure Attachment With Your Baby. Hardwood, Eli. (2024) Raising Securely Attached Kids. Sasquatch Books. Colleen Murphy is a credentialed adult ed teacher, a Certified Positive Discipline Trainer at Positive Discipline Community Resources (www.pdcrcc. org), a preschool teacher at Soquel Parent Education Nursery School, a parent coach (fromtheheadtotheheart. com), and in healthy relationships with her two grown kids. Catch her interviews on Lost or Found - Apple Podcasts with Dr. Michelle Choi.
GrowingUpSC.com | OCTOBER 2026
17
ARTS
Where the Poppies Bloom BY SARA BALLA California poppies now bloom across the walls of our sweet Discovery Preschool. Bright orange flowers dance among colorful, abstract shapes. There is movement everywhere—curves, bursts of color, unexpected forms that seem to invite the eye to wander. The mural is joyful and energetic, and every morning it welcomes our children and families as they arrive. For me, it is the perfect final touch. The mural was created by local artist Nina Lubarsky, whose work brought a vision to life that had been taking shape in my mind for some time. I wanted something that felt unmistakably connected to our native landscape, but also something that captured the way children see the world: with curiosity, imagination, freedom, and delight. The inspiration came, mostly, from my twelve-year-old son, Max Balla. Max has always had a wonderful instinct for color and creativity. I found myself thinking about the way children naturally combine shapes and colors without worrying about whether they "go together." They simply create. There is confidence and freedom in that kind of expression, and I wanted our mural to carry some of that spirit.
Nina understood exactly what we were hoping for. Working with her was a wonderful collaboration. California poppies became an important part of the design, connecting the preschool to the landscape we call home. Around them, bright abstract shapes create a sense of movement and possibility. As the mural came together, I began to realize that it represented something much bigger than a beautiful piece of art. It represented the final chapter of a rebuilding process that had involved so many people. Our preschool today feels fresh and alive. We have beautiful new eco-friendly flooring, freshly painted walls, and spaces that feel welcoming, safe, and ready for children to explore. We have worked hard to create a place that is not only beautiful, but thoughtful about the environment and resilient for the future. And then there are the poppies. They seem to say: We are here. We are growing. We are thriving. That feeling means even more to me because of a series of challenges our community faced between 2020 and 2023 with COVID, forest fires and flooding. Those three years were almost unbearable for all of us. But when I think about the challenges I can’t help but
think about the beauty that came with it. Families, teachers, friends, neighbors, and local businesses supported us all along the way. People offered their time, their resources, their encouragement, and their belief that our preschool could—and would—remain a pillar of our community. And it did. In many ways, the experiences changed us. We had the opportunity to rethink our spaces, make more intentional choices, and build something that felt even more connected to our values and our community. The mural was the culmination of all the love and joy we felt throughout the challenges. Now, when I stand outside and look at those California poppies, I don't think first about the challenges. I think about what came because of them. I think about community. I think about children. I think about resilience. And I think about the remarkable capacity we have to create beauty after something has broken our hearts. The preschool is still filled with children's voices, ideas, laughter, questions, and discoveries. Our classrooms are thriving. Our walls are bright. Our voices are singing. And
California poppies brighten the walls of Discovery Preschool in Soquel.
outside, the poppies are blooming. For me, they are a reminder that a place can be transformed not by forgetting what happened, but by allowing what happened to become part of its story. Sara Balla is the owner of Discovery Preschool and Family Center. While there are four preschool sites, she writes about the Soquel location which she has owned and operated for the past 12 years.
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OCTOBER 2026 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz
ENVIRONMENT
Sorting Out the Future of Recycling GreenWaste Resource Recovery Facility in San Jose, which is equipped with AI smart cameras pointed at the conveyor belt to remove trash. The system recovers 85% of the 45 tons of recycled material it sorts per hour. Recycling from more than 300,000 customers in the region and the city of Scotts Valley goes there too. Coming into effect Jan. 1, 2027, is an approved list of at least 50 recyclable or compostable materials that recycling agencies in California will have to accept. A common clamshell ingredient, polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, is on the list. Polyvinyl Chloride, PVC, is not. The city does not organize its recycling by type of plastic, but it has a nifty recycling guide (search “What Goes Where Guide” at santacruzca.gov) and accepts clean jars and jugs, encouraging customers to wash items before recycling. Jurisdictions can either expand the types of recycling they offer or request an exemption from CalRecycle, according to the text of the regulation. The city did not respond to a request for comment on whether service would be expanded or an exemption requested before publication. "California is shifting the responsibility of managing single-use plastic and packaging onto the producers. New packaging reforms lower waste costs for communities and decrease garbage and pollution across the state," said Yana Garcia, secretary for environmental protection, in a press release from CalRecycle. "This approach pushes producers to innovate and design packaging that truly supports a circular economy." Before the recent rise in oil prices, materials such as PET had seen a massive drop in their resale value to $60 a ton, down from $1,700 a ton in 2016, according to Beau Hawksford, administrative analyst at Recycling and Solid Waste Services. This was not enough money to make it economically viable for the county’s two transfer stations and a small city like Santa Cruz. The creation of a statewide market for PET may offer a solution to the problem the city has faced. However, PET is not easily recyclable because of how it is heattreated in the manufacturing process and some clamshell plastics, such as PVC, may face steeper declines or bans, according to CalRecycle. In 2025, polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam, was banned for single-use after the state deemed a 25% recycling threshold for the compound was not achieved.
25
BY WILLIAM S. WOODHAMS Recycling can be complicated. But a landmark anti-single-use packaging law from Sacramento will simplify how Santa Cruz County recycles in the years to come, according to local waste and recycling officials. The Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, Senate Bill 54, will make recycling easier for consumers and more profitable for local governments as it reduces Californians' exposure to toxic plastics. Plastic polluters must reduce their output by 25% and pay up to $500 million a year to offset the costs to health and the environment — what some geologists have started calling the "Plastocene" epoch because the amount of plastic will be visible in the geographic record millions of years from now. Local officials are excited about what this could mean for creating reliable markets for plastics and reducing the public confusion felt by residents who recycle in the city or the county. "SB 54 is going to be a game changer," said Tami Stolzenthaler, senior project environmental analyst for Watsonville. "In fact, everyone in California will be under the same umbrella. We'll have to accept the same materials to make it more standardized." Currently, the county accepts clamshell containers, snappable plastic takeaway boxes, through its hauler, GreenWaste. The city’s lack of clamshell recycling is one of several differences between what the city of Santa Cruz and the county accept, leading to confusion for residents. Ultimately, this contributes to 30% of total recycling at the city’s Resource Recovery Facility on Dimeo Lane being discarded, or "wishcycled," according to the city. There are other common items that can be recycled in the county that cannot be recycled in the city because of the large scale of GreenWaste, according to Christina Horvat, zero waste outreach coordinator for the County of Santa Cruz. "Here in the county we do have GreenWaste, so our service here is better," Horvat said. "We take a lot because we're bigger, and we can get that end market more than the city of Santa Cruz." Plastic film, plastic containers, milk containers, aseptic containers and soymilk containers are all accepted by the county. These materials are sorted at the
GrowingUpSC.com | OCTOBER 2026
19
EDUCATION
A UCSC Class Studies the Modern and Ancient Works of Homer BY RICHARD STOCKTON UCSC professor Martin Devecka thinks a 3,000-year-old strategic schemer named Odysseus has something to teach students trying to navigate 2026. Christopher Nolan isn’t the first storyteller to hook us on The Odyssey. Homer, or whoever Homer was, did it nearly 3,000 years ago. This winter, UC Santa Cruz Associate Professor Martin Devecka will bring both versions into LIT 81A, Introduction to Homer’s Odyssey. Devecka expects many students will walk into his class knowing Nolan’s movie better than Homer’s poem. He’s cool with that. “The movie can be a way into the poem.” Nolan’s movie may be a doorway, but Devecka is excited about what this ancient poem might have to say to 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds trying to figure out their own way through a world that looks increasingly difficult to navigate; as AI reshapes the professions they’re preparing to enter and the concern of whether an expensive college education still guarantees anything resembling the old college-to-career path. “You have a whole generation growing up in a situation that is very much like the one that Odysseus faces time and time again throughout this poem,” Devecka says. Odysseus is perpetually outgunned. The Cyclops is bigger. The Laestrygonians, a tribe of maneating giants, are stronger. The suitors outnumber him. Again and again, brute force cannot save him. What does is metis, a Greek word that can mean cleverness, cunning or practical intelligence. The most famous example comes when Odysseus is trapped by the Cyclops Polyphemus and says his name is “Nobody.” After Odysseus blinds him, the Cyclops screams to his neighbors that Nobody is attacking him. Devecka points out there is a second joke when Greek words create another pun involving metis. The Cyclops effectively says that “cleverness” defeated him. Devecka says, “Students this year will have more to learn from Odysseus than students in previous years ever have.” But metis alone could produce a pretty bleak lesson: The world is dangerous. You’ve got to outsmart everybody. That’s where another Greek word becomes important in Devecka’s class. Xenia. Usually translated as hospitality or guest-friendship, xenia describes obligations between strangers: I welcome you to my home. I feed you. I don’t hurt you. You don’t trash the place. Civilization continues. When I asked Devecka what he hoped might stick with
a student after LIT 81A was over, he said, “hospitality and openness.” He hopes students think about “the possibility of building a world around that.” When metis asks, “How do I make my way through this world?” and xenia asks, “What kind of world do we want to build once we get there?”, Devecka’s class begins to look relevant to 2026. That said, LIT 81A will not be ten weeks of solemn contemplation of the fate of Western civilization. Devecka said the fundamental purpose of Homer was essentially the same as Nolan’s movie, to entertain the audience. And Devecka relishes the fun parts; the Cyclops cave, Odysseus fighting a beggar and the famous bow scene. One of Devecka’s favorites is the athletic competition in Book 8. Devecka said, “It seems like one of the throwaway books in the Odyssey, because it’s just a track and field day, right?” Underneath what looks like an ancient track meet, Devecka sees an intricate social negotiation involving strangers and hosts, competition, status and power, “… a really intricate kind of social interaction.” Odysseus is a stranger among the “xenophobic” Phaeacians and needs their help getting home, he has every reason to be polite. Then one of his hosts basically calls him a loser who doesn’t lift. Odysseus insults the guy back and hurls a discus farther than everyone else. Then he muses about other sports he’s good at, like stabbing people with spears. The hosts decide maybe dancing would be more fun. Nolan gives modern audiences a more comfortable Odysseus, a hero who experiences remorse, cares about his crew and wrestles with the moral consequences of his actions. Homer’s guy? “He doesn’t feel remorse for anything,” Devecka says. When I asked what Odysseus ultimately learns from his journey, Devecka said, “In Homer’s fiction, I would say nothing.” Odysseus learns facts; who betrayed him, who remained loyal, whom he can trust, but he doesn’t undergo the Hollywood transformation into a better man. “It’s not about learning ethical lessons that can be on Sesame Street,” Devecka says. “It’s about learning to learn about the world. Learning to investigate the world.” For a generation that is being told to compete harder, adapt faster, master new technologies and somehow build a meaningful life, that may be the real draw of LIT 81A. Students have legitimate reasons to wonder whether the old map to adulthood still works. When the map stops working, maybe learning how Odysseus navigates isn’t such an antiquated idea.
20 OCTOBER 2026 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz
SANTA CRUZ SYMPHONY PRESENTS
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COMMUNITY
What to Do When People Don’t Like You BY ELIZABETH BORELLI It’s a crap fact of life. No matter who you are, where you live, what you do, some people won’t like you. It’s not personal, no one escapes this experience in one form or another. Whether you’re the disliker or the dislikee, by the time middle-school rolls around it’s a part of the social experience. But however you slice it, normal doesn’t make it feel good. This is the big risk of every new situation, and it happens every September at the start of a new school year. Whether you’re a freshman, a senior, or anyone starting a new life phase, there’s likely to be some social novelty. There are new classes, new teachers, maybe even new roommates. And sometimes all three. Suddenly you’re outside the comfort of your established friend group, where you already know where you stand. Comfort zones have their place. I enjoy mine as much as anyone. Yet navigating uncomfortable social experiences is also how we build resilience. Meeting new people requires effort and carries some risk. Someone might not click with you. I learned this firsthand as a yoga teacher. Early on, another instructor warned me that if I taught at an all-
inclusive studio, eventually someone would walk out of my class. “And you’ll probably feel bad,” she added. She was right. Recently, while substituting a class, I noticed a student looking unhappy before eventually leaving. As a yoga teacher, people expect you to provide an experience they enjoy. Sometimes your teaching style and their expectations simply don’t match. When someone rolls their eyes or walks out, you still have another roomful of people counting on you to stay present. So I’ve had to learn how to let it go. Mindfulness helps. Yoga teaches us to notice discomfort without immediately reacting to it. When I feel stressed or disconnected, I can return my attention to my breath and body, giving my nervous system a chance to settle before my mind launches into a story about what just happened. I’ve also learned not to assume I know what another person is thinking. People react to us for countless reasons, many of which have little to do with us. Maybe you’re too loud for them, too quiet, or remind them of their condescending sister. Unless you have enough information to know there’s something useful to learn from the interaction,
New Faces, Familiar Care Dientes Community Dental Care is expanding access to pediatric dental care with the addition of two pediatric specialty dentists, Dr. Jody Chiang and Dr. Danny Do. With their arrival Dientes is now accepting new patients ages 0–18, giving more Santa Cruz County children the opportunity to establish a dental home. Dr. Chiang and Dr. Do bring years of specialized training and experience, including dental care for infants, children with special needs, and young patients with complex medical conditions. Their expertise goes beyond treating teeth. Pediatric specialists understand how to help children feel comfortable, build trust with families, and establish healthy habits that can last a lifetime. For Dr. Chiang, joining Dientes brings her career full circle. She was once a Dientes patient herself, visiting the organization for emergency dental care as a child. “Dientes holds a special place in my heart because I was a dental patient here when I was little,” said Dr. Chiang. “Having grown up in the Santa Cruz area, I feel a close connection. I’m most excited to provide care to children in the community where I grew up and to build trust with my patients and their families.” Dr. Do is equally passionate about creating a welcoming experience for young patients.
trying to solve the mystery can become an exhausting exercise. Learning to tolerate being disliked is a life skill. Emotional maturity doesn’t arrive automatically with adulthood. We develop it through experiences that challenge our sense of ourselves and give us opportunities to recover. Of course, “don’t take it personally” only gets you so far. When you’re standing alone at a party or walking into a room where you don’t know anyone, it helps to have some actual tools. Years ago, when my daughter was starting a new school in a new state, she worried about making friends. So I took her to see someone I considered a guru of meeting people: behavioral researcher and author Vanessa Van Edwards. Van Edwards spoke to a packed room in Portland, and my daughter left with a signed copy of her 2017 book, Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People, and some practical ideas about making connections. Van Edwards’ work focuses on turning behavioral research into social skills people can actually use. Three of her ideas still stand out. Skip the boring small talk. Instead of automatically asking, “What do you do?” Van Edwards recommends questions that create what she calls conversation sparks—topics that generate genuine
interest and energy. Ask someone what they’re excited about, what they’re looking forward to or what the highlight of their week has been. Then pay attention to what lights them up. Look for common threads. We tend to connect more easily when we discover something we share. Van Edwards suggests listening for common interests, experiences or acquaintances and following those threads. If you can’t find an obvious connection, curiosity works too. Ask the other person to tell you more about something you know little about. Let people know you’re interested. Warmth is communicated through behavior as well as words. Visible hands, comfortable eye contact and open body language can help make us appear more approachable. Genuine curiosity matters too. Van Edwards describes attunement as helping another person feel wanted, liked and known. There’s something reassuring about remembering that social skills are skills. They can be practiced. Finding people you click with means putting yourself in situations where connection can happen. Join the club. Take the class. Attend the event. Introduce yourself. Ask a better question. Accept some awkwardness along the way.
43 Years of Care, One Bundle at a Time BY TARMO HANNULA
Dr. Jody Chiang
Dr. Danny Do
“I’ve seen how taking the time to make a child feel recognized, understood and comfortable can completely change their experience,” said Dr. Do. “I hope every child leaves my dental chair feeling safe, heard and proud. Even if they arrive a little nervous or unsure, I want them to leave feeling a little more confident about coming back next time.” “We are excited to have two additional dentists who are dedicated to the idea that every child deserves the opportunity to receive compassionate, high-quality dental care.” Dientes Chief Dental Officer and EVP of Operations Dr. Sepi Taghvaei continues, “Their addition allows us to open our doors wider to provide even more children in our community with a dental home. Learn more at www.dientes.org.
A woman who has spent more than four decades making care bundles for new parents at Watsonville Community Hospital was feted for her work on Aug. 21. The celebration, held in the hospital’s lactation room, had a dual purpose. Joyce Pearce, who would turn 90 the following day, wore a sparkling crown and sat beside a giant happy birthday sign beside her husband, Glenn, daughter, Marion, and others who not only recognized her birthday but also for her generosity in helping newborns of needy families. For the past 43 years she has spearheaded the assembly of layettes— or care bundles—that include a handmade knitted blanket, a receiving blanket, a toy, pajamas, socks, a bilingual book and more that were presented to young families over the years. “This is the most wonderful group in the world,” said Pearce, who lives in Aptos. “I am most honored to have helped families of humble beginnings.” Pearce reckons that she has assembled hundreds of such packages. “It’s about caring for these new, young families,” she said.
Joyce Pearce celebrates 90. Photo: Tarmo Hannula
GrowingUpSC.com | OCTOBER 2026
21
FAMILY HEALTH
Healthy Smiles Start Before Birth BY SHEREE STORM AND PRIMAVERA HERNANDEZ, MPH Taking care of your teeth and gums during pregnancy is an important part of taking care of yourself—and your baby. Good oral health supports more than just a bright, healthy smile. It plays a key role in nutrition, speech development, heart health, selfconfidence, and even diabetes care.
PREGNANCY CAN CHANGE YOUR ORAL HEALTH Dental care is safe and recommended throughout pregnancy. Pregnancy can bring changes that make your mouth more vulnerable to cavities and gum disease. Here are few examples. Morning sickness exposes teeth to stomach acid, which can weaken tooth enamel and increase the risk of decay. Increases in cravings and consumption of sugary foods and drinks can also contribute to cavities. And, when you are tired or busy preparing for a new baby, brushing, flossing, or making a dental appointment may be easy to forget or postpone. Hormonal changes can also make gums more sensitive and prone to inflammation, leading to gingivitis (inflammation of the gums). If left untreated, gingivitis can progress to periodontitis—a more serious form of gum disease that can lead to tooth and bone loss. Alarmingly, periodontitis has been linked to preterm birth and low birthweight.
PREGNANCY ORAL HEALTH TIPS:
• After morning sickness: If you vomit, wait 30 minutes before brushing. Rinse your mouth with water instead. Brushing too soon can cause stomach acid to further erode tooth enamel (the outer protective layer of the tooth that helps prevent cavities). • For sensitive gums: Try a toothbrush with soft bristles and talk with your dentist about how to manage sensitive gums while still brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss daily. • Keep dental visits: Dental X-rays can be safely performed during pregnancy when needed. Dental cleanings are safe, too.
PROTECTING BABY’S SMILE TAKES A VILLAGE
Parents and close caregivers can help protect a baby’s oral health by maintaining good oral health themselves. Cavity-causing bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans, can be passed to the baby through everyday behaviors such as kissing baby's mouth, sharing utensils, or cleaning a pacifier with the mouth. Reducing cavity-causing bacteria and treating existing dental problems can help give your baby a healthier start.
CARETAKER ORAL HEALTH TIPS:
• Schedule regular dental cleanings and address cavities or other dental problems. • Take your baby to the dentist by their first tooth or first birthday.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH SUPPORTS ORAL HEALTH
Santa Cruz County Public Health has integrated dental care into two public health home visiting programs: Nurse Family Partnership and Public Health Field Nursing. Public Health Nurses (PHN) work with pregnant people and families with children 0-5 years old to provide customized health education, support, and connections to resources. Oral health is discussed with clients prenatally and postpartum. PHNs promote oral health care for children, too. Through partnerships with local dental clinics, PHNs help clients schedule timely dental appointments and navigate insurance or payment options. The County’s Oral Health Program also provides PHNs with oral health education and resources.
LOCAL DENTAL CLINICS PRIORITIZE PREGNANT PATIENTS
Santa Cruz County has two nonprofit dental care providers—Dientes Community Dental Care in Santa Cruz and Watsonville and Salud Para La Gente in Watsonville. Both offer priority dental appointments for pregnant patients with Medi-Cal and are committed to timely dental care during pregnancy that is accessible and welcoming. Scheduling Tip: Let the receptionist know you are pregnant and share your trimester. This can help you receive a priority appointment.
MEDI-CAL COVERS DENTAL CARE DURING PREGNANCY
Medi-Cal covers dental care during pregnancy and up to 12 months after your baby is born. Covered services include exams, cleanings, fillings, and more. If you do not have Medi-Cal, Dientes and Salud Para La Gente offer slidingscale fees, and care is available regardless of insurance or immigration status. If you have private insurance, check your plan for dental benefits. A referral from your OB-GYN to see a dentist is not required. Some private dental offices may request one.
RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES
• Medi-Cal Dental Providers: smilecalifornia.org or 1-800-322-6384 • Dientes Community Dental Care: 831-464-5409 (Santa Cruz) and 831-2185341 (Watsonville) | dientes.org • Salud Para La Gente: 831-728-0222 (Watsonville) | splg.org • Public Health Nurse Programs: 831454-4339 | Nurse Home Visiting Programs • Public Health: Follow@ PublicHealthSCC on Facebook and Instagram Sheree Storm is the Dientes Chief Strategy Officer and Primavera Hernandez is the MPH for Children and Family Health for Santa Cruz County Public Health.
22 OCTOBER 2026 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz
ALL ABOUT ANIMALS
October Tails: Second Chances and Safety BY CELINE SAN LUIS October is a bustling month for all sorts of festivities. From carnivals to pumpkin patches to Oktoberfest, there are many events to celebrate. Did you know October is also National Adopt-AShelter Dog Month AND Animal Safety and Protection Month? The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) launched National Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month to raise awareness around growing shelter canine populations, encourage responsible adoptions and pet ownership, and highlight the different ways people can be involved with their local animal shelters. Animal Safety and Protection Month provides an opportunity to emphasize animal care, safe interactions, and how our everyday choices can prevent suffering and foster compassionate communities for all.
NATIONAL ADOPT-A-SHELTER DOG
Three (out of many) pillars of support for shelter animals are volunteering, fostering, and adopting. For example, at the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS), we have an amazing volunteer program that includes a Shelter Dog Enrichment Team. Weekly volunteers put together activities for the pups, both for in-kennel and yard play experiences.
Shelter dogs come with individual personalities, experiences, needs, and strengths. Enrichment is more than a toy. It is an opportunity to provide a shelter dog with mental stimulation, choice, and positive interaction while learning more about who they are. Shelter pets are given the chance to explore and can help people see them as an individual rather than simply “an animal in a kennel.” A volunteer might discover that a quiet dog becomes enthusiastic when given a snuffle mat, or that a high-energy dog loves searching for hidden treats. Those observations can help communicate the dog's personality and preferences to the public. In return, that can better support adoption matching because adopters are learning, “What does this dog enjoy, and would those needs fit into my lifestyle?”. At SCCAS, with the help of staff and volunteers, interested adopters can meet shelter animals and learn more about their story. Staff can facilitate on-site meet and greets with the family dog(s) and SCCAS dog to ensure that the pups are comfortable enough with each other, or at least around each other, before moving forward with the adoption process. Please keep a look out for upcoming October events with the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter and
our community partners. We often bring shelter dogs to these events and who knows, someone might just fall in love with a pupper!
ANIMAL SAFETY AND PROTECTION MONTH
Animal Safety and Protection Month includes wild and domestic animals. Santa Cruz County is fortunate to have support like Native Animal Rescue, Marine Mammal Rescue, and of course, the SCCAS Animal Control Officers to help protect animals and the community. Animal safety begins with prevention. Understanding how animals communicate and recognizing their needs can help prevent injuries, fear, stress, and situations that may result in an animal entering a shelter. Humane education plays an important role because prevention starts with knowledge. When people recognize and understand what animals need and how to interact with them safely, humans are better prepared to make compassionate decisions. One of the many ways to protect our animals are through Planned Pethood Spay and Neuter programs (S/N). Spay/neuter programs are an important part of animal safety and protection because they address one of the factors that can contribute to animals entering shelters: unplanned litters, future medical needs, and straying from home. When families have access to affordable spay/neuter services, they have greater ability to make responsible decisions about their pets' reproductive health and prevent accidental pregnancies. Spay/neuter also connects directly to community safety and animal welfare. Preventing unplanned litters can
Shelter volunteers help dogs thrive.
reduce the number of animals who may experience homelessness, abandonment, or inadequate care. It can also help shelters dedicate more resources to the animals already in their care. Throughout the year, the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter collaborates with organizations such as Animal Balance and Friends of Watsonville Animal Services (FOWAS) to provide affordable S/N procedures for Santa Cruz County residents. We also provide free vaccine and microchip clinics for people and pets with financial need throughout the County almost every month.
Take Action!
Youth over 12 years of age can volunteer with an adult at the Shelter. Families can foster an animal in need at home together. Even young children can help by having a lemonade stand, bake sale, or asking for pet supply donations in lieu of birthday gifts. Please visit our website at www. scanimalshelter.org or check out our social media @officialscanimalshelter for the latest updates.
PET OF THE MONTH Annabelle
Meet Annabelle, a mixed-breed cutie with a whole lot of love to give! We aren’t exactly sure what her mix is, but we suspect there may be some Shepherd or Lab in there. Annabelle arrived at the Shelter as a stray, so we don’t know much about her past. What we do know is that she loves people! She eagerly comes out of her kennel, leans in for pets, and enjoys walks and playtime. She especially loves carrying her favorite comfort stuffie along for the adventure. Staff believe Annabelle would do best as the only dog in her future home. Her adoption fee has been sponsored by the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Foundation’s Leave No One Behind Fund. Could Annabelle be your new BFF? Come meet her and choose adoption today!
GrowingUpSC.com | OCTOBER 2026
23
BOOK REVIEWS
Afraid of the Dark? BY JOHN LOUIS KOENIG
THE SKULL: A TYROLEAN FOLKTALE
If Wednesday Addams and spooky things appeal to your little reader, we have some gems to share for Halloween. Jon Klassen’s The Skull introduces us to Otilla, a brave little runaway who escapes into a dark forest. As she wanders, lost, she discovers a great old house inhabited by, of all things, a talking skull. But instead of screaming and running away, she helps the skull open the door. Right away, that tells us a lot about Otilla. Otilla and the skull quickly become friends, drinking tea, eating pears and wandering through the enormous house. Klassen’s wonderfully spare illustrations make the place feel simultaneously lonely and inviting, like somewhere you might be afraid to enter but reluctant to leave. Things take a dark and chilling turn when Otilla learns that every night a headless skeleton comes looking for the skull. Her new friend is terrified. Otilla, however, decides that being frightened of something is not the same as being helpless against it. That gives this surreal little story an unexpectedly comforting heart. It’s strangely tender, funny, and just creepy enough. The skull, the thing we expect to fear, is gentle and vulnerable. The seemingly ordinary child becomes the brave and resourceful protector.
THE DARK
Kids with an early appreciation for the macabre will love it. For a sensitive kid, The Skull might help banish a few fears or inspire a nightmare or two, but Klassen knows how to make darkness feel manageable. Humor, friendship and courage keep reminding us that we are in good hands. Klassen first found the folktale in an Alaska library and couldn’t get it out of his mind. When he reread it about a year later, he realized that memory had changed much of the story, but he trusted and shared the version his imagination had made. It’s a nice example for creative kids: inspiration can borrow from a source and still create something new. The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale Written and illustrated by Jon Klassen Candlewick Press | 112 pages | Ages 6–9 Hardcover $19.99 | ISBN 978-1-53622336-1 | Published July 11, 2023
Every child knows the nighttime terrain. The bedroom is safe (with a nightlight on). The hallway is questionable (though sometimes needed). And a basement, after the lights go out, is entered only in restless dreams. Laszlo is afraid of the dark, which is inconvenient because the dark lives in his house. Mostly it stays downstairs in the basement, although sometimes it turns up behind the shower curtain or waits, as the dark will do, inside a closet. Sometimes Laszlo visits it during daylight, hoping that a little politeness will keep their relationship cordial. Then one night, the dark comes upstairs. The Dark brings together Lemony Snicket, the wonderfully gloomy alter ego of Daniel Handler, and illustrator Jon Klassen, whose shadows we have already happily entered in The Skull. Together they turn one of childhood’s oldest fears into a suspense story. When Laszlo’s nightlight goes out, the dark speaks to him and asks him to follow. Armed with a flashlight, he crosses his silent, shadowy house and finally descends into the place he fears most. Klassen makes that journey wonderfully tense, surrounding tiny islands and wedges of
light with pages of black. What Laszlo discovers downstairs is surprisingly ordinary and kind. The dark, after all, has not summoned him to frighten him. It has something he needs. Artist Klassen built a subtle visual trick into the ending. Throughout the book, the dark speaks in white words against black pages while Laszlo belongs to the light. Near the end, his words appear in the dark’s territory. Laszlo didn’t destroy the darkness, but he learned how to live with it. The lesson in The Dark is that courage doesn’t mean discovering there was never anything scary. Laszlo really is frightened, but he goes downstairs anyway and confronts the unknown to learn something about it. For children who occasionally require a race from the light switch to the bed, The Dark may be a fine companion to leave on the nightstand. The Dark Written by Lemony Snicket | Illustrated by Jon Klassen Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | 40 pages | Ages 4–8 Hardcover $18.99 | ISBN 978-0-31618748-0 | Published April 2, 2013
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Call 1-855-399-6132 by Dec. 31 to schedule a FREE consultation! RENEWAL BY ANDERSEN DETAILS OF OFFER: Offer expires 12/31/2026. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases. Buy one (1) window or entry/patio door, get one (1) window or entry/patio door 40% off, and 12 months no money down, no monthly payments, no interest when you purchase four (4) or more windows or entry/patio doors between 10/1/2026 and 12/31/2026. 40% off windows and entry/patio doors are less than or equal to lowest cost window or entry/patio door in the order. Additional $200 off your purchase, minimum purchase of 4 required, taken after initial discount(s), when you purchase by 12/31/2026. Subject to credit approval. 12-month Promotional Period: when no payments are due, interest accrues but is waived if balance is paid in full before Promotional Period expires. Any unpaid balance owed after Promotional Period, plus accrued interest, will be paid in installments based on terms disclosed in the financing agreement. Financing is provided by various financial institutions without regard to age, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, or familial status. Savings comparison based on purchase of a single unit at list price. Available at participating locations and offer applies throughout the service area. See your local Renewal by Andersen location for details. License numbers available at renewalbyandersen.com/license. Some Renewal by Andersen locations are independently owned and operated. “Renewal by Andersen” and all other marks where denoted are trademarks of Andersen Corporation. ©2026 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved. RBA14301
“Play is the work of childhood” - Rudolf Steiner Introduction to Waldorf Early Childhood Tour our beautiful campus in the redwoods and learn about our early childhood programs which foster healthy physical and social development, imaginative thinking and reverence for nature.
Sat Sep 26th 9am | Wed Oct 21st 6pm | Sat Nov 21st 9am
Walk Through the Grades Schedule a guided tour of the 1st through 8th grade classrooms where our curriculum is grounded in timeless developmental principles that combine academic rigor with joyful exploration and deep inquiry. Offering the only 4th grade to 8th grade strings program in Santa Cruz County.
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Preschool through Grade 8 santacruzwaldorf.org | (831) 425-0519
GrowingUpSC.com | OCTOBER 2026
25
COOKING WITH KIDS
Pick Your Topping Mini Pizzas MINI PIZZAS
BY SARAH RINGLER
It is almost always beneficial to get kids to be part of the decision-making process around food when safe and possible. Developing good eating habits is very important for their health, as we all know. So much of what we learn about eating is acquired from our parents, what they provide us with and how they eat. After work, my dad was a big Cheez-its snacker, unlike my mom who aspired to look like Nancy Reagan and ate very sparingly. So, you can imagine what I deal with as do my two sisters. None of us followed mom’s influence. These pizzas can be prepared for the family, or with the family. Put out a variety of toppings so there is a choice. Kids from about 3 years old up can do most of this themselves but will need adults to assist with cutting the muffins, and toasting and baking the pizzas. Spend time letting the kids smell the herbs. Some they might not like but it starts them on the journey of differentiating and analyzing smells, part of being a cook, or a gourmand. If you have even a small space of dirt, it’s not difficult to plant herbs like oregano, thyme, marjoram, mint and rosemary. They grow year-round and don’t need a
4-8 English muffins, as needed, cut in half and toasted 8-ounce jar of organic pizza sauce or 1 cup homemade 6-8 slices of cheese of your choice or 1-2 cups grated cheese Olive oil Dried oregano, basil, sage and or marjoram lot of sun or water. The amount of ingredients you will need depends on how many mini-pizzas you plan on making. One good thing about this recipe is that it is adaptable to feeding one person or many more. A toaster oven works well for baking. Basic instructions for cooking with kids: sit down at a table, make eye contact, and go over the following things: 1. Wash hands first. 2. Relate that you’re going to make a mess but that mess has to be cleaned up afterwards. 3. Describe the recipe. With this recipe you can bring out some herbs and smell and discuss them. 4. Get out all the equipment and the ingredients
26 OCTOBER 2026 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz
TOPPINGS Toppings: Emphasize vegetables and fruits like fresh chopped basil, bell peppers, black olives, fresh chopped spinach, sautéed mushrooms, pineapples, apple slices, sautéed onions, green onions or any other ideas you have. If you are trying to model healthy eating, I would only provide small amounts of meats like salami, pepperoni or bacon.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. A toaster oven works well. Cut the muffins in half and brush with olive oil. Lightly toast. Put them on a baking sheet. Spread each one with about 2 tablespoons of sauce. Sprinkle with herbs. Cover with a spoonful of cheese. Put toppings on the muffin. Add a little more cheese if desired. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted.
EER TO KIDS W H C Y ITH DA I L CA O H NC G ER IN R B
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Every year, Jacob's Heart helps alleviate the stress families face during the holidays such as the burden of medical expenses, frequent hospital trips, grocery needs, and other financial challenges. With your help, we can lessen this burden and bring joy to kids with cancer.
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