Mantras to help get you through life, created by 6-year-olds
When students become the teachers.

Kids share their wisdom and we can all relate.
Kids might say the darnedest things, but occasionally they also give sage advice.
A teacher in the United Kingdom by the name of George Pointon has made a name for himself by tweeting his 6-year-old students’ comical, candid and sometimes profound answers to weekly questions.
Or, as he humorously writes in his Twitter bio, “exploiting children’s imagination for likes.”
One of my favorite threads so far is when Pointon asked his students to create a “mantra to help us through life.” The teacher posted each student's response, along with some commentary.
It’s all some noteworthy food for thought, if not harmless, wholesome entertainment.
Best of all, the genuine affection Pointon has for his students is undeniable.
Rory: "Don't stop running"
Pointon: “The other day I grunted when picking up my keys from the table. If I didn't stop running, I'd die. Rory has gone for the Forrest Gump approach here. It seemed to work for him. Forrest that is. I've seen Rory run into multiple trees. Persistent tho.”
Rory might be running into trees, but some spot-on perspectives on life as well.
JJ: "Only be friends with people who you want to be friends with"
Pointon: “This gets forgotten about in adults. Sometimes we are friends with people out of convenience or history. Look around and ask yourself, "does this person positively impact my life?". JJ has his head screwed on.”
JJ understands the value of authentic friendship. And, as Pointon reflected, setting boundaries and letting go is something so many adults struggle with, though there are countless sources noting its importance.
Jack: "You might [get] told off but sometimes you're not doing anything wrong"
Pointon: “His anti-authority attitude is refreshing as it is scary. He's right tho. Fight for what you believe in and it's never wrong. Although Jack believes he can back flip over a lorry, so I don't know.”
What’s a lorry, you may ask? Turns out it’s a British term for an 18-wheeler. I didn’t know either.Ravi: "Some people don't have anything so be happy you have everything"
Pointon: “We truly are in the presence of greatness. There are world leaders without this clarity. Step back and look at what we take for granted, you'll be amazed. Ravi elevates people around him. He's a special lad.”
I believe this was a major theme that “Don’t Look Up” was trying to convey. Well done, Ravi.
Lola: "You can't swim in a sink but a bath is just a big sink"
Pointon: “I believe she's talking about perspective. One person's baby step is another's giant leap. Lola moves at her pace and is proud of the people around her moving at theirs. Otherwise you'll lose a one horse race.”
I’m gonna assume Lola is also a proponent of the “just keep swimming” mentality.
Emma: "The people who don't talk, still have something to say"
Pointon: “Empty vessels makes the most noise. Emma is quiet and has grown in confidence since I've known her. She is an advocate for letting people be themselves. A true woman of her time. She'll make an excellent leader.”
Hear, hear for quiet confidence, Emma.
Belle: "Flowers live in the ground, we live in a house. Everyone lives somewhere."
Pointon: “It's a huge, overwhelming concept to think every individual lives an equally complex and rich life as you. Knowing that everyone is coming from something make[s] you see we're all the same. One team.”
A lesson in empathy, taught by Belle.
Mikey: "Mud hills are fun but also muddy"
Pointon: “I'd never heard of the term "mud hill" but I assumed it's a hill, that is muddy. I was wrong. It’s basically a pile of mud mashed up and used to throw at cars or people...So if you see a boy holding a mud ball with a devilish grin, run.”
No such thing as good, clean fun, according to Mikey.
Zahra: "Some things are cool and some things aren't"
Pointon: “There is no messing about with Zahra. A woman of precision. She wanted to add that if you find things cool, then it is. Which in itself is a pretty cool thing to say. If you enjoy something, don't let other[s] bring you down.”
Zahra is clearly the Queen of Cool.
Susanna: "Don't start a fire in a forrest"
Pointon: “I take this as, understanding your situation and objectively being able to know what is benefitting you and what isn't. But Susanna confirmed that there is no subtext. Just don't start fires in forrests because it goes whoosh, okay.”
I also love how Pointon was loyal to Susanna’s spelling of the word “forrest.” That dedication right there.
According to indy100, Pointon protects the identity of his young pupils by using made-up aliases. But reassured, the answers provided are all too real.
Pointon told indy100, “School can sometimes make you think quite linear, like there are only right or wrong answers but, especially with them being so young, their thoughts are actually really abstract.”Passion, purpose, and a dash of social media stardom have allowed Pointon to help raise awareness around children’s issues. Last November he worked with the Anti-Bullying Alliance, asking the question “what makes you unique?”
For Zahra, it was her two different eye colors. For Susanna, it was the fact that she could fit 100 grapes in her mouth (Pointon isn’t so sure, but encouraging nonetheless).
Pointon hopes to work with even more charities, using his platform to “have conversations with children about things that need to be spoken about, or things that are going on in the world and get their point of view on things.”
In the meantime, you can catch all of Pointon’s thoughtful questions, along with his students’ endearing and brilliant answers, on Twitter.This article originally appeared on 01.28.22
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."