They were decorated nicely (although not uniquely) and my boys thought they were special because they had their names on them.

But these cakes tasted bland and looked cookie cutter houses in a cookie cutter neighborhood. birthday cake with name I know I could do better, and that's when I decided to make my own birthday cakes for my kids.

The first year I did this, I was nervous that the other parents would think my creation was hideous. I tried to make it perfect and stressed over the fact that maybe I was wrong.

Maybe I'm not good at this at all. But the smile on my kids faces after receiving a cake they knew I worked hard on was special. Suddenly, it didn't matter what anyone else thought, and I've been making birthday cakes for my children ever since.

The first time you make a cake for your child, go for something easy to decorate. Even a non-traditional birthday cake with store-bought toppers could be a good choice.

Try a chocolate turtle cake or a brownie cake and put your child's name on it with alphabet toppers. I promise it will taste a hundred times better than what you can buy at the store, and you'll feel proud of your accomplishment.

Once you master the non-traditional cake, move on to more advanced techniques like special character cakes or layer cakes. You might even consider taking a cake decorating class or reading more about cake decorating online.

Soon, you'll find that your homemade birthday cakes are a family tradition. Don't be surprised when you get asked to make them for your child's birthday long after they've flown the coop.