There are many times in our life when we feel like we hit a wall or we are struggling more so than we usually do. It can be due to our own stress and anxieties or outside factors that are closing in on us. When we feel like we are struggling and dragging along, we could always use a little bit of help from someone else. Having someone be there for us is something that helps us feel a bit better.
Some individuals rely on those closest to them when they are struggling.
When we are going through a hard time in life, we usually turn to those closest to us for advice, support, and a shoulder to cry on. However, we don’t always want to open up to our closest friends and family because we can feel like we are being a burden to them.
Sometimes, getting pep talks and advice from strangers is the pick-me-up we really need.
You may not think to turn to complete strangers for a pick-me-up, but it turns out, when you least expect it, strangers can be some of the most helpful people. And, sometimes, they’re not even adults with life experiences either. Sometimes, they’re just kids!
Jessica Martin and Asherah Weiss, two teachers from West Side Elementary in Healdsburg, figured out a way to make the world a better place.
The two teachers pioneered a new program that they created in their elementary school to have their kindergarten students become the pick-me-up strangers all over the world could use. As teachers, they know that sometimes kids can be so innocent and so pure—the world hasn’t truly “burned” them yet.
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They created a project where kids would share uplifting advice with other people.
“We wanted to do a project that was going to be simple enough to do and call on kids to think about what they wanted to say in the world, to uplift other people.
And as we all know, we’ve been going through a lot these last few years. So we wanted to do something really simple but profound,” Weiss told The Guardian .
If you call 707-873-7862, you’ll be patched through to “PepToc.”
PepToc is the project that both of the elementary school teachers created where their students share kind, warm, funny, and uplifting messages to those who dial in. There are four different options that people can choose from, based on what they need or want to hear.
Some messages are for those struggling, while some of it is just pure laughter.
If people are feeling “mad, frustrated, or nervous,” they can press one. If they “need words of encouragement and life advice,” they press two. If they need a “pep talk” from a kindergartener, they press three. And, if they just want to hear adorable kids laughing, they can press four.
Calling in, you can hear some of the hilarious advice.
One student says, “If you’re frustrated, you can always go to your bedroom, punch your pillow or cry on it. And just go scream outside.”
Another kid shares, “If you’re nervous, go get your wallet and spend it on ice cream and shoes.”
Since their project has gone viral online, the hotline has received thousands of calls.
After a week of the project, people online began to talk about it and share it on social media. Now, the hotline receives 300-500 calls per hour, and sometimes, Martin says , they receive up to 5,000 calls per day.
Martin shared that “the adults” have been holding it up for “so long.”
“The adults among us have been holding everything up for so long, it’s amazing to see what comfort children can bring. I was moved by the incredible collection of advice and encouragement they gleaned, and how easily and distinctly they were able to communicate it,” she told CNN .
With so much going on in the world, why not give the hotline a call for some smiles?
With the war in Ukraine and a health crisis still lingering, there is no better time to get a pick-me-up from a funny and sweet kid than right now. As we all know, kids sometimes are the innocent break from reality we all need.