When it comes to back-to-school, my daughter and I are on the same page.
I’m not singing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” and my kid is not tailgating at the bus stop.
Instead, we’ve been desperately clinging to the last days of summer vacation, squeezing in as many outdoor activities as possible before she is forced to remain indoors for nearly seven hours per day.
It’s not that my child hates school; it’s just that she enjoys summer more.
Ditto for the Mama; only I don’t make a habit of verbalizing my personal preference for lazy summer days over the chaos of school mornings.
Still, actions speak louder than words. Or, in my case, silence may not be as golden as I would like. Consequently, I’ve been looking for simple motivators to boost my daughter’s enthusiasm for the new academic year.
Today’s motivator: Sugar.
Oh. Yes. I. Did.
I turned to sugar to help sweeten the start of school.
Since my daughter burns way more calories than she consumes and sweet treats are not regular visitors in our home, baking goodies is a huge reason to celebrate.
Tomorrow is my daughter’s first day of third grade, so today we baked cookies to place in her lunch box… for the rest of the week.
However, my main back-to-school motivator was a themed cake we made together. The special treat will be waiting for her upon her return from the first day of school. I told her that we can dig into it as she recounts her classroom adventures.
Even if you aren’t a big baker, you can still make your child’s return to school special by creating the following recipes:
Chalkboard Cake: Either make or purchase a plain white, rectangle-sized cake. Next, use green frosting to cover the top of the cake. Make the chalkboard border out of brown/chocolate frosting or fondant. Use a toothpick dipped in brown cake decorating gel to create a wood grain design in the frosting. Next, cover the sides of the cake with chocolate frosting. Pipe white or colored letters to spell out a back-to-school message, such as: “Happy First Day of School!”
Ruler Cake: Bake or buy an undecorated sheet cake. Cut it in half horizontally, so you are left with two long, skinny cakes. Stack the two pieces on top of one another, using buttercream to hold the layers together. Cover the cake with yellow fondant or frosting. Pipe the ruler’s lines and numbers (1 through 12) on the top portion of the cake. On the bottom part of the cake write a message like: “School Rules!”
By taking the time to make a treat for your kids you can help promote a positive attitude as the new school year gets underway. It also sets the tone for the rest of the evening. After all, no matter how bad the first day of school turns out, there’s nothing a little cake can’t fix.
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