Our twins just turned 3 on August 6th. As hard as that fact is for me to accept, here we are! Together, they got to bake their own cupcakes. They picked out the cake mix, frosting, sprinkles, and cupcake tins that they wanted for their birthday.
One of the things we started doing when our oldest, Presley, turned 3 was allow her to bake her own cake and cupcakes. It’s been something my kids sincerely look forward to since it’s one thing they get to do with mom alone. It’s also something they get to serve to others who come and celebrate their birthday.
So here are the main reasons we let our kids cook their own birthday treats:
1. It’s simple.
We are firm believers in simplistic childhoods. We believe by keeping their lives as unembellished as we can for as long as we can, it creates a foundation of love and happiness in their lives. We teach our children that they don't need the latest and greatest to have a fulfilling life. It's a far cry from the way I was raised - being spoiled and getting anything I ever wanted. Maybe that's why I try so hard to make their lives more meaningful than materialistic. So, we don't buy extravagant cakes. We want them to know you don't have to spend a ton of money to enjoy something so special. It's so easy to get caught up in this Pinterest-Perfect world with amazing cakes and lavish birthday parties. But I just don't think 3, 4, and 5 year old's need that.
*& this is my own personal opinion!*
2. It’s cheaper.
We have five children so buying $200 cakes five times a year is just not feasible for us. I just see dollar signs flying out the window when it's something that is eaten.
3. It teaches our children the value of memories vs things.
When I look back on my childhood, I remember the things I did way more than the presents I got. The only presents I remember getting were American Girl Doll things. For the most part, I remember the things I did and the places I went. So for my children, I want them to remember they baked their cake with Mama when they were little. I want them to remember how fun and special it was for them. I think it's also important to remember that they are toddlers. These aren't 8, 9, 10+ year olds. My oldest will be 6 and I asked her what kind of cake she wants for her birthday coming up. And you know what she wants to do? Bake a rainbow cake with mom and find unicorn figurines to put on top of it. (Hey, Amazon!)
4. They get to create their own masterpiece.
It's so fun to watch them all use their imagination to create something so different. Lennon was all about putting as many sprinkles as she could on one specific cupcake. Which made sense since that was the one she chose to eat! Halen wanted to make sure each cupcake had exactly 3 candy flowers. You can just see their little minds at work and they were so eager to show off their creations to everyone. They kept saying "look at my cupcakes! Look! I made that! I did that, guys!"
5. It gives them treasured memories.
Like I've already said, we do this for the memory. Once my kids get older I am sure we will be out cake shopping. They all look forward to this part of their birthday. Whenever it's a sibling's birthday, the other ones are constantly telling me the cakes and cupcakes they will make when it's their turn. They love doing it this way and for right now, this is what works for our family. They are just toddlers and this is the way we believe their birthdays should be done.
I made this post not to shame families who do throw amazing birthday parties and have gorgeous cakes. I wrote this for the families who feel like that's how they have to do it, since society's pressure can be so strong. I made this to let you guys know that you don't have to spend a lot of money to give your little kids a great childhood birthday.
