NEW FEATURE ALERT! Scroll to the bottom for our new section — ❓The Question Box❓— where we’ll tackle a difficult-to-ask (read: embarrassing!) parenting question each week. This week’s comes from one of our most searched articles! ⬇️

THE RECIPE: Easy, Creamy Parmesan Risotto 🇮🇹 🧀 🍚

Raise your hand if you’re afraid of risotto. Go ahead—don’t be shy. So many people think it’s too difficult to attempt, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Yes, it takes a little time, but it’s mostly just stirring. And the payoff? Unbeatable.

Plus, there’s another little secret to consider: If your kids like cheesy, buttery pasta, risotto is probably going to be a pretty easy sell. It’s giving mac and cheese vibes, so play that up. Mac and cheese rice is a thing, no? 😂

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Olive oil or canola oil

• Butter

• A small onion

• Arborio or other short-grained rice

• Chicken or vegetable stock

• Parmesan cheese

• Lemon

Tap the button below for the instructions!

🧑‍🍳 RISOTTO TIP: Much like your favourite mac and cheese recipe, risotto is easily customizable. Make the basic recipe and throw in roasted veg, chicken, bacon…you name it. You can also change up the stock and the cheese to alter the flavour profile. Happy cooking!

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HEY TORONTO!!

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Explore creativity with dynamic workshops for elementary and high school children at Savile Studio and Market, opening March 22. Small-sized classes ensure personalized attention as young artists delve into arts and crafts, illustration, and acrylic painting on canvas. Led by experienced instructors, the sessions are engaging and nurture artistic expression and skill development in a vibrant studio setting. Enrol today and get 25% OFF your first workshop! Use discount code PARENTSCAN24.

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THE REEL DEAL: Kitty Foreman is Our Hero 😂 😂 😂

Take a lesson from That ‘70s Show—sometimes you just gotta add an extra splash of tequila or battle your way out of an apron. But don’t ever swear, because manners, you know? (This one made us all cry with laughter.)

THE POLL: Do You Support a Clampdown on Scrolling and Strolling? 📱🚶🏻‍♀️

If you have a pre-teen or teen and they have a cell phone, sometimes it can seem like you don’t even know what they look like anymore. But you might not have ever considered the head-down-face-in-phone issue to be a safety hazard. More and more people every year are getting in accidents because they are walking while engaged with their phones.

A tiny village in France, Seine-Port, has decided to take matters into their own hands where strolling and scrolling are concerned. In addition to a number of other screen-related guidelines (they can’t actually make smartphone use illegal), the village’s new Screen-Free Charter recommends no phone use in the streets, by school gates, in shops or in large gatherings. The idea is that this will cut down on dangerous incidents and also promote a return to face-to-face communication.

So, we want to know…would you support a mandate like this?

🗳 THE STROLL-AND-SCROLL SHOWDOWN
Weigh in by tapping your answer below!

Results of our last poll:
Do you consider yourself a worrywart parent?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Yes, 100%. (41.4%)
🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Sometimes—it depends on the situation. (21.1%)
🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ No, not really. (31%)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Other (3%)

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Beef Tacos 🌮 😋

Taco night is a beloved tradition at Canadian tables, especially on Tuesdays! It's a fun way to customize dinner and get everyone involved. If you're introducing your baby to solids around the 6-month mark, check out these ideas on how to introduce them to family favorites like beef tacos. Delicious and nutritious!

🙋‍♀️ THE QUESTION BOX: My Son is Concerned About the Size of His Genitalia—Should I Be Worried?

This must be a question that baffles parents, because it is consistently one of the most-searched articles on our site (and has been for years!). So here’s the short answer: Probably not.

A true micropenis—which is a normal functioning penis at 2.5 standard deviations below the age average—is a very rare condition. And you would know it was an issue from birth, as it would have presented in the newborn condition. An associated medical condition, microphallus, also presents at a young age and is related to an abnormality of the anterior urethra.

Our expert says that when older children are concerned and brought to the doctor for evaluation, they often haven’t hit puberty (so they have yet to hit this growth milestone) or are larger in stature (so their penis may appear smaller but is actually normal size for their age).

At ParentsCanada, we support taking your kids to their physician whenever you’re concerned (and this is true in this case, too!). But to ease your mind, this issue in older kids is unlikely to be cause for concern.

Got a burning question? Just reply to this email and ask! We’ll never name you in a response and you might get the answer you need.