Being an adult is hard. Between managing schedules, navigating a pandemic, absorbing nonstop stressful news, and, you know, parenting, life can be a little much. Sometimes sage advice from a five-year-old is just what you need to put a pep in your step.
And that’s exactly what you’ll get when you dial 707-8PEPTOC (707-873-7862). Peptoc, a project from the students of West Side Elementary in the town of Healdsburg, California gives callers the encouragement they need to get through the day.
At first, teachers Jessica Martin and Asherah Weiss asked kids to make flyers with powerful words of encouragement to share around town. The idea evolved into a hotline, which launched on Feb. 26. Not sure if you should call? Let the kids, who range in age from kindergarten to sixth grade, help you decide in their welcome message:
“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. To hear how awesome you look, press 6.”
No matter which option you choose, you’ll be met with uplifting words that will put a smile immediately on your face. You’ll hear the likes of:
“Rainbows are jealous of you.”
“Be grateful for yourself.”
“If you’re feeling up high and unbalanced, think of groundhogs.”
“Lady, you’re doing great.”
To everyone’s delight, the project took off, but soon callers maxed out the number of minutes paid for through the West Side School arts program. Shortly after, it was receiving 800 calls in one hour, then was shut down temporarily the next day because demand was so high.
It’s obvious we parents are going through a rough time that can only be solved by hearing the sweet, tinny voices of a kindergartener. Ready to get the pep talk you need? Call 707-998-8410 and visit the West Side Union School District website to make a donation that will keep the hotline up and running.
