The American tradition of the tooth fairy visit and gift drop off has occurred for over a hundred years and has appeared to be a rite of passage for young children experiencing loss of their baby teeth. The materiality of gifts has varied from a dime or quarter per lost tooth upwards to five dollars paid by some “high end” tooth fairies. I will be the first to tell you that my brothers and I usually raked in a quarter or two at best for losing our baby teeth many moons ago. The fairy that has visited our children has adjusted for inflation and has offered up a dollar for each tooth lost. It is good to know the legend lives on within most households and the magic seems to take different avenues depending on the household and the tooth fairy on duty.
Coins
While currency is the most common form of rewarding lost teeth, there are some effective ways for the fairy to get creative. Instead of leaving behind the quarter or four quarters, why not opt for a gold dollar coin, or even foreign currency? The child may not recognize a coin from faraway lands, but it may create a sense of wonder at this exotic treasure. The fairy might also get creative and provide specialized or commemorative coins currently being circulated by the U.S. mint. The fairy in charge can check out special coin offerings at the local bank or post office.
Dental Accessories
Besides leaving behind a coin or prize, why not provide the child some accessories to help them take care of the promising new teeth that will be growing in? Some good ideas include character or cartoon themed toothbrushes. For boys these might be iconic superheroes or favorite animal themes. Girls might take a liking to princess or pop culture idol toothbrushes. Tooth fairies can add in some bubblegum or fruit flavored toothpaste and a small tin of floss. Finish of this small gift with a package of sugar free gum.
If your “inner tooth fairy” wants to avoid cash exchange for teeth, there is always the option of leaving behind a small gift while the child sleeps. For boys, this gift might be a tiny book, comic book, tiny car, stickers or play tattoos. For girls this might be some jewelry, tiny books, or lip gloss. The key is for the fairy to keep the gift exchange small enough to fit under the pillow or place on dresser as to not awaken the sleeping child.
Tooth Fairy Tips
Children may be highly distraught if they lose their teeth and do not know how they heck they will receive a visit by their friend without having the detached tooth to offer. Simply calm the child down and instruct them to write a note on a small piece of paper stating that they lost the tooth and would really appreciate a visit by the fairy. They can leave the note on the dresser or night stand and the fairy will surely know the child lost the tooth.
Some kids may need extra convincing that there is a tooth fairy out there. Once the child loses the first tooth, the fairy may want to leave behind a little sprinkle of glitter next to the origin of the tooth being taken. A child that awakens to coins or a toy with glitter left behind will surely become a quick believer.
If children are light sleepers, parents may want to obtain a special tooth fairy pillow or dish that can be placed on the dresser at night. This new tooth location may be the difference in protecting the secret.
