Cool aunt shared her chewing gum to help her niece focus on homework — months later, the school called about the kid’s wild classroom business
Aunts have a reputation for spoiling their nieces and nephews, usually with the best intentions. A self-described "cool aunt" with ADHD thought she was just helping her niece focus during homework when she shared her gum. Months later, that simple choice led to a surprising phone call from the school that revealed how her action had influenced other kids. The moment reached a wider audience after an Instagram video was shared on Thursday, January 22, 2026. Posted by user Britney Spearmint (@reallybritneyspearmint), the clip showed the aunt explaining how a piece of gum meant to help with focus turned into a side hustle in school that no one saw coming.
In the video, Britney sat in her car and talked straight to the camera. On-screen text jokingly read, “I accidentally turned my niece into her school’s 'dealer.'” She laughed as she explained that her niece, Bella, wanted to copy everything she did. “My little niece Bella wants to be exactly like me,” Britney said, adding that she understood why. "I get that I'm pretty cool, so if Aunty is doing something, Bella wants to also be doing it." When Bella noticed Britney chewing a different-colored gum than the one she was offered, she asked about it. Britney told her the gum had ingredients that help with her ADHD and explained what the condition feels like. Bella replied, “Aunty, I feel like that at school all the time,” which caught Britney’s attention but also made her cautious.
Later that day, Bella was struggling with a history worksheet and kept getting distracted. Britney recalled Bella saying, “History is so boring, can I please try some of that gum that you said helps you focus?” Knowing it only contained supplements like caffeine and B vitamins and would be harmless, Britney agreed. The result was immediate. Bella finished her work quickly and correctly. Britney admitted it felt “a little bit suspicious,” but the answers checked out. Months later, the school called Britney in as a legal guardian. She learned that Bella had been quietly selling pieces of the gum to classmates and calling it “speed” because it helped them finish work faster.
Britney could not help but laugh while telling the rest of the story. “My girl’s not just a gangster, she’s a hustler too,” she joked. Bella had secretly been taking pieces from her aunt's large bag, which explained why it had run out so fast. The teacher was not angry, only confused, since Bella had no packaging with her and only the small white gum pieces, and kept using the word “speed.” Britney shared that what was shocking to her was that Bella’s grades had improved from B’s and C’s to mostly A’s, and some classmates had seen the same change. Since gum was not allowed in the classrooms, Britney switched Bella to focus mints with the same ingredients and set rules. “She cannot just give them to other people without their parents’ permission,” she said. The video, captioned “That’s why she has money now,” gained over 82,000 views since it was shared online.
For more interesting stories, follow @reallybritneyspearmint on Instagram.
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