Questions About Tooth Fairy Protocol? Me Too
The tooth fairy. Is there any other fairy that causes so much trouble?
She is forgetful, inconsistent and a little bit gross. And she visits a lot -- when she remembers.
My daughter is six and lost her first tooth recently - on the same day that five of her classmates lost teeth too (thanks to a teacher who is the resident tooth puller, rumour has it that she is the tooth fairy). It was a lost tooth bonanza and many parents descended on me with what to do about the tooth fairy. And I understand their stress: it is often a time of tears and anxiety and not just for the parents.
My daughter lost her tooth in class, so to avoid the tears we immediately had her write a note to the tooth fairy and put it under her pillow. Miraculously the tooth fairy wrote (typed) a note back and delicately, without shoes on, placed it along with a five dollar bill under her pillow.
Five dollars? Are you outraged? Is it too much or too little? The going rate in our house is five dollars for the first tooth and a twoonie for each tooth following. Some other five dollar notes have turned up, if the fairy forgets the first night or doesn't have the requisite change. Grandparents have their own arrangements with the tooth fairy that I have no control or knowledge of.
How much to leave for a tooth is a problem that vexes many first time parents. Remembering to leave the money is a problem that haunts most parents after the fun of the first time.
The first time you forget it is easy to cover it up with stories of the tooth fairy being busy with other kids. But the second time or the third? It becomes very complicated - the stories, the letters, the lies - they just build and build upon each other. I hate the lying and the coverups and the uncomfortable questions. Not to mention, the prettying-up of increasingly flowery notes coloured in at midnight and the creeping around the house.
I wish we parents had access to some kind of website or database where the tooth fairy's going rate could be listed, along with some stationary where we could write the "sorry the tooth fairy was busy" letters and then printed them on the perfect fairy letterhead. I'm sure I'm not the only parent who needs such a thing am I?
Do you love or hate the tooth fairy? Any good tooth fairy stories in your house?
Want more chaos? Last year, I wondered if I should lie and allow my son on to Facebook (he still doesn't have an account, but it's coming...)
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