Having a bad day? Call this hotline to receive a wholesome pep talk from kindergartners.

Peptoc, created by the students at West Side Elementary.
Remember the Callin’ Oats hotline that started back in 1987? You know, the emergency Hall & Oates helpline where you’d dial 719-26-OATES to hear a song? Press 1 for “One on One,” 2 for “Rich Girl,” 3 for … well I don’t remember the options beyond 2. “Rich Girl” was always my pick.
Hotlines might have been a relic destined for the Gen X archives, had 2020’s lockdown not prompted people of all ages to to seek out entertainment in any way they could. Hotlines are indeed hot once again. And perhaps more clever than ever.
You can call the Hogwarts Admission Office, receive support through your existential crisis and even listen to poetry to escape from the mundanity of modern life.
But perhaps no hotline could be as wholesome and delightful as Peptoc, where callers can tune out the harsh noise of the world and fill their heads (and hearts) with wisdom, encouragement and life advice from kindergarteners.
That’s right, pure joy is just a phone call away.
Once you dial 707-998-8410, you’ll hear a child’s voice prompt you through delightful options:
“If you're feeling mad, frustrated or nervous, press 1. If you need words of encouragement and life advice, press 2. If you need a pep talk from kindergartners, press 3. If you need to hear kids laughing with delight, press 4. For encouragement in Spanish, press 5.”
What exactly does a “pep talk” from kindergartners sound like, you may wonder. Well, it goes a little something like this:
“You can do it!”
“Keep trying! Don’t give up!”
"Bro, you're looking great!”
As for when you feel mad or frustrated, the kiddos suggest taking three deep breaths, punching a pillow, or getting ice cream and/or shoes. I mean … pretty sound advice.
As the hotline intro suggests, Peptoc was created as an art project from students at West Side Elementary in California, with the help of their teachers Jessica Martin and Asherah Weiss.
Martin shared with NPR that the idea was moved by her student’s unwavering positive attitudes that remained consistent throughout the pandemic and wildfires. She thought their optimism could be something everyone could benefit from.
"Their creativity and resourcefulness is something that we need to emulate, because that level of joy and love and imagination is what's going to save us in the end…And you know, with the current situation in Ukraine and all of the other terrors and sadness that we all carry, it's really important that we continue to hold this light." Martin told NPR.
Taking a page from that late Susan O’Malley’s book, Martin made the project a form of “social art,” meant to engage people through interaction with the art itself.
O’Malley’s “Advice From My 80-Year-Old Self” made inspirational posters from the advice of strangers. With Peptoc, we instead get inspiration from little children. Or as one woman who called then told CNN, “joy straight from the literal mouths of babes.”
It seems Martin was right—this is something the world has very much needed. As of Feb 26, the hotline is already up to 700 callers per hour.
Though the hotline itself is free to call, you can help support the hotline fees by clicking here to donate. Any excess money goes toward the school’s enrichment programs, which Martin adds has undergone massive budget cuts.
Next time you’re feeling down, Peptoc and the students of West Side Elementary are here to lift your spirits. Art, plus laughing children … what’s not to like?
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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.