Funny pictures of kids playing with tampons, condoms, and bras are really about gun safety.
You know how kids are. They'll pretty much play with anything they come across that they find interesting.
Sometimes the things they find are embarrassing but funny.
Things like condoms that look strikingly similar to balloons.
Ad images by Evolve, used with permission.
And tampons and pads. I mean, one turns tiny fingers into talons and the other has adhesive backs. What could be more fun?!
And lingerie. It's colorful, after all.
We definitely can't forget the sex toys. Bright, sword-like, and battery operated, what kid could resist?
I'm willing to bet the farm that there are some fellow parents out there who have a story or two about their kiddos finding any of these items. (I know I'm not alone, whether anyone else will admit it or not!)
But these ads aren't about the funny and sometimes embarrassing things our children discover and appropriate for toys.
Not even close. These were created to make a point.
You know what else might look like an interesting new toy to a child who stumbles upon it?
This:
Photo by iStock.
Yep, that's right. A gun. What makes it any less intriguing to a young child than condoms or sex toys?
The answer is nothing, which is why it's so important to lock up guns to prevent kids from ever getting their hands on them. Storing a gun in a place you don't think kids will find it isn't effective.
Kids are like tiny detective ninjas. They can find anything, particularly when it's not meant for them.
Photo by iStock.
And that's what motivated Evolve, the organization behind these ads, to create them.
The fact is that right now, at this very moment, lots of people own guns. In fact, a recent survey found that about a third of American adults live in a household where one or more guns is present. And that means that plenty of kids live in homes with guns, too.
So don't be distracted: There's no gun control or Second Amendment debate here. We need to talk about how to keep those kids safe — right now, right where they are.
As it says on the Evolve website:
"Yes, there's a raging gun debate out there. But no matter how loud anyone is yelling whatever they're yelling, everyone can agree, we can be safer. Right, responsible gun owner? Right, left-leaning senator? Right, Mom?
We're thinking America can stop shooting itself in the foot. We're thinking everyone can pause the debate for a sec and pay attention to one simple thing: somewhere out there is an unlocked, loaded gun. Don't we all want to reach it before a 3-year-old does?"
Photo by iStock.
Rebecca Bond, one of the founders of Evolve, shared this with me:
"There is a code that parents live by and expect others to uphold as well. To keep children safe. Parents generally expect others to have an even higher code with other people's children. An unsecured gun found by a child is 100% avoidable. ...
Leaving a child around an unsecured firearm is the equivalent of leaving them in a room with a running chainsaw and hoping they make the right choice. ...
We need this discussion to be occurring in homes and among friends and families. Make a choice to buy a gun or not based on your personal choice. Safe handling and securement you do for everyone.
An organization called Project ChildSafe distributes gun lock safety kits across the country. If you have a gun in your home, use their interactive map to find an agency they work with in your state to get a kit to secure it.
While we don't know exactly how many children are involved in accidental shootings each year, one thing is for certain: They happen. "No matter what, we all live with guns and this is everyone's conversation," Bond told me.
We adults can debate gun ownership all day long, but while we're doing it, it's important to make sure guns are secure and don't get in the hands of those curious, creative, oblivious children that we love so much. That's something none of us want them to happen.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.