Coffee Chat: Kids and Supplements

| Patti Webb

Last fall, I was chatting with other Girl Scout moms at our annual campout and someone left a pack of Grüns in the cabin. They’re superfood gummy bears that are supposed to do a ton of awesome things like promote gut health and give you energy and fulfill your veggie requirements, etc. I had seen these on my IG feed, so me and a couple of the moms tried them out. Big letdown for me (they were the no sugar added variety), but overall a good reception. One of my girls liked them, and one other scout was like, cool.

That led to what other “wellness” things each of us had tried in our routine; from special-order vitamins, to supplements that replaced caffeine, to Liquid IV and protein. And what do you know, later that week I had ads all over my accounts for kids’ vitamins, gummies, and patches.

Maybe it’s just that we’re getting older, but the lineup keeps growing: a daily multivitamin to fill any nutritional gaps, collagen and biotin for hair and nails, melatonin for sleep, probiotics for gut health, B‑complex and magnesium for energy, vitamin D for mood…the collection just keeps expanding. Creatine, the powder that my high school boyfriend was taking to get “ripped”, is now marketed to women as a supplement.

But what adds an extra layer of weird is that many of the supplements have a kids version. Beyond the classic Flintstones vitamins, there’s now a kid‑friendly version for nutrition, immunity, focus, growth, you name it. But why? And since when?

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Reader’s Digest: The Gut and Child Development

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

It seems like we’ve always treated the gut as something that matters.  Just look at our language: gut instinct, you’ve got guts, gut‑wrenching. We use these phrases because, on some level, we know the gut is central to how we sense and respond to the world. We’re not wrong though.

When we say gut, we are referring to the long digestive tube inside the body that starts from the mouth all the way to the stomach and intestines, also known as the gastrointestinal tract (the GI tract). But it does far more than break down food. It’s a major sensory, immune, and communication hub that helps shape how a child’s body takes in and responds to the world.

Because it’s in constant conversation with the brain through neural, hormonal, and immune pathways, the gut plays a meaningful role in mood, sleep, attention, and learning. A healthy, well‑nourished gut becomes a powerful driver of how children grow, adapt, and thrive.

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Course Notes: Allergies, Pt. 2

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Allergies touch most of us at some point: sneezing fits, itchy skin, watery eyes set off by pollen, dust, or a pet brushing past. But food allergies are a different experience entirely. They’re far less common, and they’re not the same as food sensitivities.

My own mild food allergy, paired with watching a close friend navigate her daughter’s severe reactions, sparked a deeper understanding about how profoundly these conditions can shape childhood. For many families, food allergies carry a unique developmental weight because they show up during meals, classroom snacks, birthday parties, and playdates—moments that are supposed to feel simple and safe.

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Course Notes: Allergies, Pt. 1

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Winter is finally starting to thaw, and spring is just around the corner. As the days warm up and the trees and flowers burst back into color, allergy season ramps up right along with them. For many people (including myself), those first blooms also bring sneezing, itching, and watery eyes. Whether the trigger is pollen or another allergen, it’s often enough to have us reaching for Benadryl, Allegra, Claritin, Zyrtec, pick your poison.

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Skin Deep: Skin’s Role in Child Development

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Touch is a child’s first language. Studies show that early tactile experiences shape attachment, regulation, and the development of motor and sensory systems. It helps build our body schema for crying out loud.

All of this begins with the skin: the body’s largest organ, the first sensory system to mature, and the primary gateway through which infants learn about safety, connection, and their place in the world. Because the skin is a direct extension of the developing nervous system, it plays a central role in how children build body awareness, emotional stability, and early relationships.

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