wellness

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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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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Coffee Chat: A&Z’s First Visit to the Podiatrist

| Patti Webb

I do not have flat feet. If anything, my arch is incredibly high and my friends complained that we couldn’t borrow each others’ shoes because of it. I also tend to underpronate which I didn’t really notice until college. So when Troy and I started dating and he wore orthotics, I totally thought it was an old man thing.

Last month, Troy suggested we take the girls to the podiatrist. I get being overzealous about your kid’s health, but exactly how many pediatric podiatrists are there?

He said that he noticed that Z’s ankles were crumbling in when she walked and that’s a sign of flat feet. A’s feet also were a bit weird; they curved inward. My little pigeon toe! My MIL also worked as an x-ray tech in a podiatrist’s office, and she reconfirmed they definitely needed to go.

I didn’t think this was a big deal, since they were still growing and neither of them seemed fully “in their body” yet. But when I looked at videos of Z walking in flip flops, it was very clear. Similarly, in videos of A running, she looked a bit “floppy” for lack of a better word. To the podiatrist we go!

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