My eldest is 7 and has now lost 6 teeth, so I would consider myself a bit of an expert about the tooth fairy. We’ve experienced the wonder of a lost tooth, the eagerness to put it under the pillow at bedtime, the joy of discovering “the exchange” in the morning, and once, the confusion at finding a tooth but no money. Today, my son lost his first tooth. It was high time because he already had his adult teeth in. He has always loved sharks and enjoyed knowing that he had rows of teeth just like a shark. We’ve just sent him to bed and now I am left to rehearse my role.
- Keep some cash in the house somewhere for tooth fairy emergencies.
- Decide on an amount and stick to it. You think an extra dollar or even a few extra coins won’t matter, but it will! Kids remember these things.
- Try to discourage your child from putting the tooth in any sort of box or container before putting it under his or her pillow. It makes the switch more challenging.
- Make the switch before you go to bed. If you wait until morning, you run the risk of forgetting or being too late.
- If you do forget and your child comes in your room in the morning with tear-rimmed eyes and says that the tooth fairy didn’t taker her tooth and didn’t leave her anything (hmm, hmm), have her climb in bed with you and soothe her saying, “You must have awakened too early. Let’s just lay here and give the tooth fairy a little more time.” Meanwhile, send Daddy out to “make coffee.” I’ll bet that when the coffee is made, the tooth fairy will have made her visit.
- Keep the tooth in a little container. I still have my baby teeth. Let your child decide when it is time to get rid of them.
Don’t forget to take pictures! There are few things cuter than a toothless smile. Our tooth fairy leaves $1 for each tooth. How much does the tooth fairy leave at your house?
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