Around 4 months, your child gets their first tooth. Then, some 5 (or 6) years later, those same teeth become wiggly little buggers that can spark both excitement and anxiety. For some kids, the idea of a visit from the Tooth Fairy is so thrilling that they’ll wiggle their tooth out themselves—constantly. Others might walk around with the tooth awkwardly hanging from its root, too afraid to let you pull it out and overwhelmed by the idea of teeth falling out.
Then, of course, there are the precarious six-year-olds who lose their teeth at dinnertime, swallowing them with a mouthful of peas, and those who somehow manage to get their teeth knocked out on the playground. One thing, however, remains the same: once the first tooth comes out, as a parent, you bear the responsibility of making the Tooth Fairy seem real. After all, in the eyes of your child, she absolutely is!
The Two Types of Parents
Just like there are two types of kids, there are also two types of parents. Of course, there are the parents (mostly dads) who get so annoyed with their children whining and squirming about a silly loose tooth that they dare mention the whole Little Rascals scenario of tying the tooth to a doorknob. After all, that’s how their dad did it. Others may threaten to take their child to the dentist, mentioning pliers, in hopes that their child will opt for mom or dad pulling the tooth instead. Then, there are the parents who trick their children into pulling their teeth by pretending to examine the tooth and then suddenly ripping it out, leaving the child crying and terrified, forever scarred.
The second type of parent, however, allows the child to soak up the attention of having a loose tooth, mostly because the cracking and popping of the tooth gross them out. These parents are constantly giving their children things like apples, popcorn, or Lifesavers, hoping that the tooth will fall out on its own as nature intended. Never mind the fact that the replacement tooth is already coming in; these parents are just too squeamish or don’t want to face the fact that their child is growing up.
No matter how you do it, remember to post your comments on Twitter and pictures on Facebook if you want. Just don’t forget that the Tooth Fairy is one of the most beloved children’s icons of all time, and it’s your job to make her come to life!
How Much Does the Tooth Fairy Make These Days?
When you were a kid, you were lucky to get a nickel or a quarter. For a long time, the standard rate was $1 per tooth. However, today, exuberant parents aren’t just leaving money—they’re leaving gifts as well. In 2008, CNN conducted a survey which found that the national average for a lost tooth was around $5, with some parents leaving as much as $20. Just keep in mind that before you leave a crisp $10 bill under the pillow, your child will lose 22 of these little teeth, and you’re setting a precedent. Between the ages of 5 and 7, it can feel like you’re parting with money for the Tooth Fairy every few weeks. You may also want to ask your child, in a subtle way, how much their friends are getting these days (incognito, of course), to make sure your child doesn’t feel short-changed by the Tooth Fairy compared to their friends.
You also need to make sure you don’t forget for the Tooth Fairy to come. This means NO falling asleep in bed next to your child. If, for some reason, you forget to leave the tokens behind, you better be prepared to come up with a creative story (and, of course, it will cost you even more money). Try explaining that even the Tooth Fairy may have gotten busy and left the tooth for the following night. A handy idea is to place the tooth in something like a large brown paper sack, so you can easily find it in the dark without waking your child. Plus, it’s easy to lose a tooth in your child’s bed, and if you do, there’s a good chance your child will find it.
If you choose to keep your child’s teeth, make sure you have a distinct, safe place for them—like a safety deposit box. The last thing you want is to ruin your child’s belief in the Tooth Fairy by having them find their tooth in a Ziploc bag stuffed in your nightstand.
To make the Tooth Fairy experience even more magical for your child, you might want to leave a trail of glitter around. A sprinkle of glitter or a few flakes left on the pillow will definitely make the experience feel more special. You can also get free printables from www.freeprintablecertificates.net directly from the Tooth Fairy herself. These can be shared at school or kept in a special scrapbook. They also have cute coloring pages, and leaving crayons with the coloring pages is another inexpensive, fun alternative to leaving money.
Of course, you’ll need to know what the Tooth Fairy does with all those teeth—because your child is going to ask! Old legends say that the Tooth Fairy uses the teeth to make jewelry or collects them to build her Tooth Fairy castle. Since neither of these stories is particularly exciting, feel free to make up your own.
Parents, of course, are always wondering what the “right” thing to do is when it comes to the Tooth Fairy. You might question whether you should leave a gift for a tooth that’s decayed or one that was pulled by a dentist. The truth is that losing a tooth, regardless of how or why it happens, is a rite of passage for children and should be celebrated! While it may not be as exciting as a birthday or Christmas, indulging in the whimsy and magic of a visit from the Tooth Fairy is something special that only happens for a short time in your child’s life. So, have fun with it!
