THE SNACKTIVITY: Easy, Yummy No-Bake Cheesecake Jars 🍓 🍰 🫐

We’re getting to the point of winter where we need bright spots to break up the grey (we haven’t seen the sun in the Greater Toronto Area, where ParentsCanada’s HQ is located, in weeks and weeks). These no-bake cheesecake jars completely fit the bill, for a few reasons: 1) Kids are easily involved, so it becomes an activity as well as a treat; 2) They are super simple and super delicious; and 3) They’re topped with fresh fruit, so it’s like a little burst of summer for dessert.

Here’s what you’ll need:
🍓 Graham cracker crumbs
🍓 Butter
🍓 Cream cheese
🍓 Sugar or honey
🍓 Vanilla
🍓 Fresh berries (we like strawberries, but blueberries also work beautifully!)

Tip: You can use frozen fruit, but keep in mind that it will leach liquid as it thaws. You can pre-thaw your fruit in the fridge before topping to avoid compromising the cheesecake base.

Tap the button below to get the recipe!

THE POLL: Has a Stranger Made a Difference to You as a Parent? 💞 🦸🏽‍♀️

Okay, we know we usually skew funny in this section of our newsletter, but this Insta post gave us all the feels and we had to share. Parenting is really hard — we don’t have to tell you that — but sometimes you come across someone who lightens the load a little bit. It could be a doctor, a nurse, a teacher, a bus driver, a random person on the street or in a store… They go out of their way to improve your day, in ways both big and small.

So, we want to know: Have you come across these real-life superheroes in your life as a parent?

🗳 THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS
Weigh in by tapping your answer below!

Results of our last poll:
Have you "accidentally" donated toys or stuffies?

🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ Yes, but it really was an accident! (17.9%)
🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️ Yes, and I totally got caught. (23.88%)
🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ Yes, and they still haven't noticed. (19.4%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Nope, I'm straight-up with my kids and they knew where it went. (26.8%)
🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Nope, because my home is basically one big playroom. Nothing gets thrown out. (11.9%)

parentscanada

View more on Instagram

THE ASK: Do You Have a First-Person Parenting Story You Want to Share?

There’s a C.S. Lewis quote that says, “What? You, too? I thought no one but myself…” and, as parents, we feel this deeply. Parenthood, and all of its daily trials and tribulations, can make for an isolating ride. Yes, it’s also joyful and fun and rewarding, but that doesn’t negate the fact that it’s also scary and difficult.

So, in 2024, we’re aiming to help our community feel a little less alone, by offering a platform to tell the stories of parenthood. The good, the bad and the ugly.

Here’s where you come in: Do you have a story you want to share? It can be a birth story, an infertility or pregnancy loss story, a core memory, a story of joy, a story of grief, a story of what you’ve learned and how you’ve grown, a story of when things worked out or when they didn’t. 

There really are no rules. All you have to do is reply to this email and write us a couple of sentences about your story.

We won’t be able to publish every single story, but we are really hoping to make parentscanada.com a place where parents can go to get a little more of that, “Hey, you too?” feeling.

Please note: You don’t have to be a professional writer to consider this opportunity. We can work with you to craft your story in the way you want to tell it. Just reach out and we’ll chat!