What’s with the Tooth Fairy lately?
The other night as Cason and I were watching another hilarious episode of The Modern Family, a specific story line really got me laughing/thinking…
“What’s with the ‘Tooth Fairy’ lately?”
What do I mean by this? well, let me start from the beginning.
When our twins were in kindergarten, they each lost their first tooth (same one on the same day actually), then Emberly lost another the first few weeks of first grade…
… and Jocelynn didn’t. As you can see below, we cried a LOT about it that night.
Maybe it’s a twin thing, maybe it’s a sibling thing – maybe it’s just a Jocey thing, but either way, I could tell that losing teeth around here was going to be an emotional journey.
A few weeks later, Joceylnn lost another tooth.
Losing teeth is a funny thing. Some kids wiggle and yank teeth out as fast as they can, once they realize there’s even a hint of them being loose, and others hang on to those wobbly, weird, wonky teeth till they can’t hang on to them anymore.
Twins will be twins, but Emberly is a yanker-outer-er and Jocelynn is a hanger-on-er-er.
There are crying fits and tears E.V.E.R.Y time Jocey is on the verge of losing a tooth. I can’t figure out if she gets scared, nervous, anxious about WHEN the actual tooth will fall or just overly dramatic…and no amount of coaxing helps to convince her to just pull the darn thing out!
Jocey was exceptionally freaked out to lose her first big FRONT tooth and was babying it along for a good week as it just hung on by what seemed like a single root. Luckily we had dentist appointments lined up at Little People’s Dental, with Dr. Stewart (our most favorite Pediatric dentist EVER) and surprisingly, Jocey was totally THRILLED to have HIM pull her wiggly little tooth out.
What’s THAT all about?
There were no tears, hardly any nerves, and afterwards when I asked her why she was okay with Dr. Stewart pulling her tooth out and not me or Dad, she responded with,
“Oh Mom, it’s because he’s a REAL doctor and so I knew it wouldn’t hurt me.”
Guess who’s convinced that ALL of her teeth now need to be pulled by Dr. Stewart?
***siiiigh***
Needless to say, little miss #3 was feeling really left out of all the “teeth losing drama”, and only a few days later, wigged her NON-wiggly tooth completely loose.
ACK!
I sense some competition going on here, and feel that my little girls are starting to look more like jack-o’-lanterns than kids; which I love, because toothless pictures are the BEST to look back on when you’re all grown up, am I right?
Cason and Aubrielle Facetiming anyone who would pick up, to show and tell them about her new gappy smile.
So back to my original question…
What’s with the Tooth Fairy?
I grew up with the belief that $1.00 per lost tooth was the going rate, and that’s what we have now decided to give our kiddos. Maybe that seems cheap to some, but let’s get real, at 5 and 6 years old, what are you going to “need” with much more than a dollar?
This being said, something took me totally by surprise the other day, when I caught wind from one of my twins that the Tooth Fairy is bringing other kids at her school fun presents, MUCH bigger bills and even tickets to events around town, as reward for those lost pearly whites.
>>>insert stunned, Mommy-doesn’t-know-what-to-say and Daddy is rolling his eyes, moment here<<<
I don’t mean to offend, but SERIOUSLY? Why so much?
Have some of us forgotten how MANY teeth dwell in a little human mouth?
Yowzers! I’m about ready to pull my OWN teeth out to get a few of these new ‘Tooth Fairy Perks’!
My kids are now talking about tickets, toys and ten dollar bills… and I thought an occasional glittery dollar, for a ‘special font tooth’ was cool.
(?)
Fortunately our girls understand that “OUR” Tooth Fairy only leaves a dollar per tooth (that they can later buy something with from somewhere like the dollar spot at Target), but now I’m wondering…
How do YOU do the Tooth Fairy?
or just lost teeth in general?
Are Cason and I just old school, cheap parents? Has the price of a tooth really increased THAT much since we were kids? Is losing teeth at your house as emotional and competitive as it is at ours?
Parenting is confusing and weird sometimes.
Who would have thought 7 years ago that I could fill up an entire post on my blog about lost teeth and Tooth Fairy politics…
Stacey says
Gosh, a dollar is plenty. Don't sweat that one. 🙂
Holly @ abakershouse.com says
That episode cracked us up too! We gave $5 for the first tooth since it was such a big deal with a note from the tooth fairy that future teeth would be worth $1. I used to get a quarter when I was little so we figured that $1 was a good going rate now. What sweet photos of your girls!
Angela says
Our little guy (who's 5 1/2) lost his first tooth recently and we did $3. We thought that seemed fair. When his next tooth was loose it had a small chip so I teased him that the tooth fairy might bring him less because of it. His response was, "I think I should get more because it's so rare!"
Lisa @ Fern Creek Cottage says
More than a dollar per tooth is ridonkulous!
Michelle says
Well, I have been doing the tooth fairy thing for almost 20 years… yep! 20 years. My oldest will be 25 in June. For me, it is $1/tooth. Still. My littlest turned 6 in December. He has lost two teeth. He can save his dollars for a lego set. (He has asked for more jobs around the house to make money for more legos.) I am old school/old fashioned. I don't think kids need all that stuff. We keep things simple here and don't go crazy with all that.
I have seen a lot of changes over the years. My kids are almost 25, 15 and 6. Just the difference with things between the two oldest is astounding… What the kids (in general, not necessarily mine) are into, or expect. I guess I am the uncool mom because I don't give into a lot of that stuff.
Kim S. says
The tooth fairy brought my kids $1 per tooth. But to make it special it was a "golden" dollar. The Sacajawea dollar which coincidentally is available at our local banks.
At the bus stop one morning I overheard the kids talking about what they got from the tooth fairy, some kids got a lot more money, some got books. When my daughter told her friends she got a golden dollar all the kids thought it was pretty cool.
The tooth fairy doesn't visit our house anymore, all the baby teeth are long gone, but the golden dollars are still here!
Susan@Organized31 says
I am so with you. The tooth fairy should be fun not a money making strategy. We have the cheapest tooth fairy in the neighborhood and I'm proud of that fact (kinda).
Kristina says
So funny about the competition! My kids are 3 1/2 years apart in age, so while there is not competition, there are many milestones my older achieves that the younger cries tears over.
I hear you on the tooth fairy thing. My kids get $1. That is it. I don't care what other people do! Except for when my daughter lost her first tooth, and swallowed it. She got $.25 extra, as hazard pay.
Jo-Anna@APrettyLife says
We're old school too! The first tooth was worth $5, but now it's $2 max! Our kids tell us of other kids getting iPods and crazy things like that – I just tune all that chatter out. It's all just too crazy and so unnecessary. You are so right – parenting is SO confusing and weird sometimes.
Cathryn's Closet says
The tooth fairy brought our Daughter a $10 bill covered in pixie dust for the first tooth. And a gold dollar coin for her second. I think it is out of hand. Dollars and quarters should be fine. Too bad they arent any more.
Courtney
Hilarie says
Hah – we're the $1 per tooth type, too! And I'm also amazed at what some other people do. I did read another blog post that I really liked, though – a dad started paying $5 per tooth, just so the kids wouldn't leave teeth hanging on forever – it motivated them to pull them quickly. I wish "our tooth fairy" did that, because those loose teeth sticking out every which way really creep me out!
Unknown says
This is hilarious and awesome! We have a few more years until tooth drama comes our way, but I firmly believe $1 is plenty!
Unknown says
OMG, I totally agree!!! But it seems to be everything…My son says to me "Mom, why don't you bring me McDonald's for lunch at school"…Ummm, excuse me?? "Other kids moms do!" Oy!!
Christmas, other kids parents buy them their own ipads (seriously???) and my son wonders why not him. How do I explain that? It ins't even about money, it's just about being ridiculous!! Sorry, vent over! lol
roganne says
OMG! My tooth fairy left us random pocket change (which also included bits of lint :). I hate to see what it will be like when my two-year-old loses a tooth!
Razzle Dazzle Berry says
I think $1 per tooth is just fine. That is what mine get. Just think what they will expect if we increase that amount….I can hardly afford my kids as it is let alone a tooth fairy's wage too 🙂 Your doing just fine!! -Becca
artsully says
We just lost our 1st tooth this week-DRAMA!! My 5yo was a total baby about it when her daddy tried THREE did times to pull it out. But then we went to my parents house a d she let granddaddy pull it w no crying- go figure. She then told me that "the tooth fairy isn't real but would you still leave me some $- I want $18." Where does this come from?! Lol! We did $5 for the 1st one but she only gets $1 for the rest. I asked on fb what the going rate was and got so many different answers. This isn't like a major holiday people!
Amy says
I'm with you!! Our Tooth Fairy leaves a dollar for that special first tooth, and then some combination of change (honestly, whatever she can scrape together before she falls into bed, exhausted) for the rest… My oldest has had a TON of teeth pulled, and those do rate 2 quarters! I had grand plans of using a gold dollar coin for the first tooth and then completely forgot about it when the time came.
Anonymous says
The tooth fairy brings our kids a $1 coin for each tooth. PS. The only time I ever got more than a quarter was when I was 19 and thought it'd be funny to put my big ol' wisdom teeth under my pillow and got a nice crisp $20 bill 🙂
MelissaS says
My daughter received a $1 dollar bill for her first tooth and it's been 50 cents (and a hefty sprinkling of fairy dust on her pillow) for the following six teeth. We live in kind of a pretentious town in the Bay Area so I am sure other kids on the playground are getting tablets and scooters (well maybe not that extreme), but she's never mentioned anything and seems really pleased with what she gets.
MelissaS says
ps- this is a from a couple of posts back, but how in the world did Cason get a minivan rental for $48 for several days? I am looking into renting one and for ONE day I am getting $120 quotes. I'd love any secrets you are willing to dish out.
Brynn says
I'm with you! My husband talked me in to a dollar… I was thinking 25 cents! I think the tooth fairy is fun, but the value of teeth sure has gone up in some homes! Long live the frugal fairies!
Kristen says
Take heart: some of us are even cheaper than you! Instead of receiving anything fun, our kids are allowed to tape their lost tooth to the calendar date on which it was lost, for all of posterity to revel in. No money is given at all. 🙂
Ms Do"mess"ticated says
LOL, I thought the same thing when my son was losing teeth. But he got less than $1. When I was a kid I got silver dollars for my teeth, my parents had a special deal with the tooth fairy and they made sure we kept them and never spent them…when my son lost his teeth – he got special tooth fairy money – those same silver dollars. Now he's 14 and he said his kids might even get that same special money.
Holly says
Parenting and making things "special" is getting way out of hand. This is a good example. I also cringe at all the creative hand-made valentines and creating holidays for no particular reason. Moms wear themselves out making everything sooooo special. I seriously worry about mom burnout and what these kids are going to expect when they get older. After all, the specialness has to build over time…
House of Smiths says
I love all this input! Great stuff!
Anonymous says
$1 is the going rate at our house. Of course sometimes the Fairy forgets to come, then he gives $2. 😉
Rosie says
There seems to be a huge competition among parents to be the "coolest" parents. With Pinterest , amazing blogs that show extravagant parties – everything is on display. Somehow , many parents are forgetting that simple works! Also , all the hype might come back to bite you when the kids expect way too much because they have always been given too much!!!
$1 a tooth- except when our oldest had to have four- not loose teeth- pulled by the dentist. She got a little extra that time! We do have a very strange fairy! Our littles often come out heartbroken because there is nothing there! Fortunately , mom is a good looker and always seems to find where they " missed" looking!!!
Lisa says
We do a $2 coin, and if it was a particular stubborn tooth to come out, sometimes 2x $2. This morning though one of my daughter's school friends had a visit from the tooth fairy, and apparently the fairy leaves them $50 for their first tooth. Wowsers. She obviously gets more stingy by the time she gets to our house.
Blackeyedsue says
It's never EVER been anything other than a crumpled dollar bill. Well, except for that ONE time the tooth fairy was on vacation in Mexico and forgot the tooth for two weeks. That one resulted in a golden dollar coin. You know, one she picked up on vaycay. (finest parenting moment ever)
Karlene says
My kids get $5 for the very first tooth… Then it $1 for the rest. 🙂
Matxalen says
Desde luego que un dolar es suficiente. Es muy triste entrar en el juego de quien da mas, como se hace muchas veces con los niños. A mis hijos siempre les he dicho que una moneda rodando es fácil de transportar para el Raoncito Pérez.
Hugs
Kelsey // It Takes Two says
I totally agree with you, a dollar is plenty. Heck, I used to get 25¢ per tooth and I thought I was lucky! It meant I could buy a gumball from the machine the next time we went to the store 🙂
gina says
I'm way past the Tooth Fairy stage but my kids got a $1 per tooth. Just wait until they are a little older and want $ for good grades. Sme friends gave $20 for an A, $15 for a B etc. I hated that pressure my kids put on us but we did not cave. If we had we'd be living in a box on the street! Pretty much straight A students now finishing college and grad school!!
Nancy H. says
My children, who are now 20 and 15, got a dollar per tooth and the tooth fairy always left a small "tooth related" gift for them…all related to good dental hygiene. They would get a toothbrush, or dental floss, sometimes toothpaste or sugarless gum, a new toothbrush case for when they traveled. They loved it and neither my son nor my daughter has ever had a cavity!
Anonymous says
The most important thing when it comes to the Tooth Fairy, is to NOT forget!
The Tooth Fairy forgot to visit my son's room when he lost is first big Front tooth. Feeling horrible and offering up an excuse for her, he calmed and looked forward to her coming that night. At about 5 am, I woke with a start, flinging myself out of bed, and raced around the room looking for a dollar like a madwoman!!! I mentally berated myself for having forgotten to get to the bank for the second day in a row, I'm a horrible mother, etc etc.
Well, guess what? The absolutely ONLY thing I had was a $20 bill!! Yep $20 bucks. He woke as my arm was under his pillow and he asked me what I was doing. I told him I was checking to see if the Tooth Fairy came. Needless to say, he was beyond thrilled! He proceeded to count how many teeth he had left to lose. Unfortunately, I had to break the news to him that the Tooth Fairy only gave that amount for Front teeth. Three months later, he remembered that of course and he got another $20 bucks. UGH! LOL
Christina says
I have four girls (two of them are twins as well) and they get $1 for each tooth. When you have multiple kids who have multiple teeth, it's just not realistic to do more. My girls learned early on that their tooth fairy is extremely unreliable and forgets to come so I just started handing them the dollar when they lose the tooth and the kids say, "Thanks Tooth Fairy" and giggle. They think it's funny that we do it this way and I don't have to stay up late or get up early just to sneak a dollar under their pillow.
Anonymous says
I like the helpful info you provide in your articles.
I will bookmark your weblog and check again here regularly.
I am quite sure I'll learn a lot of new stuff right here! Good luck for the next!
My site; perth seo services
Pikapic says
Hola!
En España no viene el hada de los dientes. Aquí viene "el ratoncito Pérez". Los niños dejan su diente debajo de la almohada y el ratón viene de noche, lo coge y deja una moneda a cambio del diente.
Al igual que en EEUU, aquí los niños están deseando que se les caiga un diente para llenar la hucha!!
Es curioso como en cada país existen costumbres parecidas, aunque diferentes a la vez.
Un saludo,
Manuela.
Renee says
I don't have kids but my niece gets $1 per tooth. I love being part of the fun and downloaded an app to "call" the tooth fairy so she could tell her where we were when her tooth was loose on vacation. Then, when she accidentally swallowed one of her teeth she asked me to call the tooth fairy and tell her. I told her the next day that the tooth fairy understood and her requirement was a written letter explaining the situation and that the letter had to be signed by my sister to verify the story was true. The tooth fairy left $2 that night in exchange for Jace's honest letter. So cute!!!
Twigs and Twirls says
I have to giggle at this…we did $3 for her first tooth, and $1 for her second, then the third one came out and the tooth fairy (aka daddy) forgot to leave something. So the drama that happened in the morning was priceless. Needless to say the third tooth cost daddy about $20 !!!
DeeAnna says
My kids are grateful when the tooth fairy remembers within a week of the tooth going under the pillow!
Krishna says
Girl mine will get a quarter. That's what I got…that's what they'll get. I refuse to teach my kids greed over a tooth!
Kelly says
I always got a quarter as a kid and I only give $1 for my boys. I've heard kids at school getting a lot more but with 3 boys and lots of teeth, I figure $1 is plenty! 🙂
valentinegirl says
we are the same, 1$/tooth, but I try to make sure that I have dollar coins on hand for it!
tara says
We live in L.A. and I asked around when my daughter lost her first in kinder – $20!!!! I used to get a quarter in the '70's. We settled on $5 for the first and $3 for the others- a dollar coin and a $2 bill. They are excited about the unusual currency, not the amount.
jenrhoad says
We have one that will not let his teeth fall out! It drives me crazy because I hate everything about losing teeth. I hate when they look all jaggedy and crooked, I hate the red spot left when the tooth finally comes out and I hate how serrated and huge they look when permanent teeth grow back in. So we told our son that the tooth fairy only pays a dollar if he gets the tooth out himself. If grandma has to pull it, the tooth fairy only pays a quarter. Is that mean?
Janice says
We start with a dollar and then add on an additional dollar for each tooth lost. It does add up toward the last of the baby teeth..but it is such a special right of passage, we thought counting the way was cute.
farmhouse mama says
We do a dollar a tooth and a $2 bill for the two top front teeth. I have 4 boys and honestly they could care less about the tooth fairy and usually forget to put the tooth under the pillow. Typically the money gets put back in my purse because they leave it laying around the house. This post makes me realize that God gave me boys for a reason. While I miss the cute clothing I couldn't handle the drama. 🙂 What I want to know is….. who started the idea that kids need to come home with goody bags and gifts from birthday parties? Why are we always trying to outdo each other? We are teaching our kids to expect sooooo much from others. Drives me crazy!
janet @ the ordinary life of jannybean says
We give the kids $2 coins for each tooth lost. Mostly because our $2 coin (the "toonie") is two colours and much cooler looking then the $1 coin (the "loonie"). But I think people are going overboard on a lot of the kid rituals. We found out this year that some people have leprechauns who visit for St. Paddy's day? Wha?? I don't think you are being cheap at all. I think kids don't need much more than $1 or $2 and mine really just love the clink of coin in their piggie bank.
shalan says
I'm with MelissaS…How and where did you rent a minivan for $48. Cason needs to do a second post. Questioning minds want to know!
shalan says
I'm with MelissaS…How and where did you rent a minivan for $48? Cason needs to write another post. Questioning minds want to know! Back on track though. $1 is plenty. After 23 years of raising kids my 12 year old son just pulls the tooth out, hands it to me and says, "Can you just give me a dollar so you don't forget?" (sigh)
Unknown says
We did a $2 bill covered in "fairy dust" (Mac eye makeup), new toothbrushes and a small Lego set for my son's first tooth. All other teeth get a $1 gold coin. I picked up a roll at the bank.
K :) says
I think, as a family, that whatever you decide to do is the perfect thing to do! We give a handful of loose change with a dollar or two (no set amount) and usually a book or little something fun. But really, don't we all need to stop this competition and just worry about what's happening inside our own home?
Cyndia says
My kids are long grown and gone now, but I never gave into that "pressure" about toys or money or anything. I think you set a bad example for your kids if you do that. A dollar is more than enough for a kid's tooth! I think giving iPods and such are part of what leads to a kid feeling entitled and not having to earn their own stuff. I am ALL about letting them work for their benefits. It teaches them a good work ethic, a feeling of accomplishment when they have earned it, and will serve them well when they are adults.
Keep up the good work!
Anonymous says
I'm 31. I got a quarter, and I was happy. My kids get a $5. They save up for their own toys, so out of my pocket of evens out. Also, Their teeth come out so s-l-o-w-l-y they are only loosing a couple a year. I think $1 is plenty- do NOT sweat it. My 5th grader thinks she should have a tablet since lots of the kids in her class do. Ummm…no. She got a 3dS XL for her birthday instead.
Karri says
Our tooth fairy only brings $1 per lost tooth. Maybe its because my husband and I grew up waaaay back when kids got 25 or 50 cents per tooth or maybe its because we have 3 kids and yeah- that's a heckofalotta teeth, yo! (especially when, at times, they start loosing several a week!) We've had the, "so-and-so says the tooth fairy brings them $20 for their first lost tooth and then $5 per tooth after that! why don't we get that?" And I told them that we each strike our own deal with the tooth fairy before our kids lose their teeth (much like I've told them that we each have an agreement with Santa, and that's why some kids get more than others).
Alison @ mommadidit.blogspot.com says
That's just crazy! When I was visited by the tooth fairy, I got a quarter per tooth. My kids now get a dollar. My sister-in-law's kids get $20 for the first tooth and $10 for each one after that. I'm sorry, but with four kids pretty close in age, the tooth fairy would go broke at our house if she dished out that kind of change!
Debi says
Working at a dental office we get the big question about the going rate for tooth faeries these days all the time. Pretty much the average is $2-$5 for the first tooth lost and $1 after that. However there is another option that a lot of parents love – a photo of their sleeping child WITH the tooth faerie! Go to toothfairy.capturethemagic.com
🙂
Amanda says
My twins are too little still, but I heard the cutest idea for little girls ever… The first lost tooth gets a basic charm bracelet with a tooth fairy/fairy charm, and then a new charm is left for each tooth. I had big plans to do this before I had my kids, but with one boy and one girl, unless I can think of something special for my little guy, it would be fair. So, it might be a dollar under the pillow after all.
Debi says
Working at a dental office we get the big question about the going rate for tooth faeries these days all the time. Pretty much the average is $2-$5 for the first tooth lost and $1 after that. However there is another option that a lot of parents love – a photo of their sleeping child WITH the tooth faerie! Go to toothfairy.capturethemagic.com
🙂
Debi says
Working at a dental office we are asked about the going rate for the Tooth Faerie all the time. Pretty much the average is $2 to $5 for the first tooth and then $1 after that. However there is another option that a lot of parents love – a photo of their sleeping child with the Tooth Faerie! Go to toothfairy.capturethemagic.com
🙂
Kim @ Plumberry Pie says
Our tooth fairy runs with the dollar crowd too! 🙂 My son did come home and tell us how his friend gets $5 or more….WHAT/??!!! Yes, parenting is an interesting ride. We did give more on the first tooth and the first molar though. But a dollar is where it's at our house.
Kristi H says
Our tooth fairy brings gold dollar coins, which my 2 keep in a special "treasure chest" and show anyone who will set still their loot! They love their gold coins!
Unknown says
:)Our oldest just lost his 1st tooth and we had the exact same situation in our house!!! one of his friends got $20 per tooth!!! (not gonna happen in this house) lol
I wrote all about it on my little old blog:)
bellacaiden.blogspot.com/2013/05/beckham-hair-and-tooth-fairy.html
Unknown says
My parents gave us special money like a $.50 piece I had never seen one before so I thought it was pretty cool.
Unknown says
I agree some parents are I overly eager to shower with presents and large sums of money. It reminds me of st nick when my kids get candy and a small 3-5 dollar toy. Some kids get a bike or iPod. What do you get them for Christmas then? It's almost like Christmas all year round. I am not made of money and it makes me sad that my kids will feel left out from other children being shower with what seems to be Christmas year round! Thanks for being a 1.00 tooth fairy! Gives me hope that I am doing a great job at providing my kids with enough when the tooth fairy, at nick, and Easter bunny come 🙂
Amy says
We gave $4 for the first tooth. Every tooth after was $1. My son will not pull his teeth out. He wouldn't let the dentist or the orthodontist pull it out either. Finally on Christmas day, I couldn't take it anymore and told him we would not open any more presents until his tooth was out. Ten minutes later his tooth was out, but then in the excitement of Christmas the tooth fairy forgot to come that night. Oops.
Jenni Coberly says
It's always been a dollar for us too. I guess our tooth fairy is cheap and a little forgetful…my kids are thrilled when the tooth fairy remembers to come and give them a dollar!! I figure it leaves that little element of surprise and they are just thankful for the $1 WHEN it comes!! Ha!!
Angela says
We are poor… we give $1 per tooth, although when I was little I only got a quarter (and that was IF I was lucky!)- I must be ancient!
A lot of kids, now a days seem to think that they "deserve" more…sad but true.
Angela
Unknown says
i only have one kid and plan on only having one so i will prob give him more money for his teeth prob 5$ or 10$ a tooth or even toys (cheap ones) depending on what he's in too at the time new baseballs or something lol but if i had more kids i would understand not giving more you would go broke!
Unknown says
Haha, totally agree with you, Sherry! I could have written your post myself! I cannot imagine buying any of my kids an ipad! Are you kidding me? They break everything anyway! Maybe when they are in high school… they can save up and buy their own!
Stephanie Saunders says
These are also the same parents that take flowers and balloons to their "graduating" preschooler that make normal parents look bad, though I think it's hilarious that someone wrote that they give their kid $10 for their first tooth, and then later said that a dollar or change should be good enough. Yeah. Except of course it's not going to be if you give $10 for the first one.
Just another example of the reason our kids all suffer from entitlement.
Lisa says
LOL, too cute. I always gave dollars 🙂
Megan {The Brick Bungalow} says
I think a $1 is fine. I don't remember what I got per tooth but it had to be less than that. One day at recess a basketball hit my tooth and knocked it out and I never found it. The tooth fairy was extra nice and gave me $2 and I remember thinking that was huge!!! One of my coworkers does a book for the first one about teeth. I think that's a cute idea but big gifts for every tooth?! Crazy!!!!
Anonymous says
Our Emma was getting two dollars a tooth, but…..she lost one that she pulled at school, so the Tooth Fairy lost her address. Considering she is only 9 years old and has an accerlated tooth loss, we went with that. At this point her orthodontist says she will be in braces of some form till she is 12 or 14. Tooth Fairy's paying him now.
Anonymous says
we do just a dollar but sometimes it's a dollar bill folded into a neat shape using origami from youtube tutorials. (here's a trick don't wait until the late at night to fold it, fold about ten or so ready to go hidden so that they're ready for the fairy to deliver) we also do the gold colored (not made of gold) presidential dollars. Our son loves these and it makes it seem more special but is still just a dollar. It can also serve as a little history lesson the next day looking up the president and facts about his life. Just ask at the bank and they usually have them. I grabbed bout forty of them to be prepared for the next five or so years between three kids.
libbywilko says
We do a gold coin for teeth… $2 for a molar (our sons first tooth was a molar and had to be removed at the specialist dentist under gas so my hubby thought as it was pretty traumatic after the op) but $1 for all others. Our family does seem to be cheaper than some families but the kids know we do and say things differently and that's ok.
Anonymous says
Same with us, $1/tooth, Sacajawea dollar. My two girls are now 13 and 15, and they had so much fun with the tooth fairy. Until they went snooping in my closet one winter day, and found the stash of baby teeth. That day, the Tooth Fairy, Santa, and the Easter Bunny all went the way of the dinosaurs in our house – EXTINCT! Well, it was fun while it lasted! Enjoy your girls, they are so cute. Now mine are into makeup and the oldest is going to prom next week!
Nutmegger
My Boys' Teacher says
$1 gold coin. All the other moms I'm friends with are doing the same 🙂
Tiffany says
I got a quarter (I'm 38) and my kids now get $1 per tooth. But people can be crazy with these things! For my niece's first lost tooth, she got a music box and $20. Really?! I think kids are usually satisfied if you say that the agreement you made with the TF when they were born was for x amount. And for the times you forget, you can always say it was too windy for her delicate wings to fly that night. And then set an alarm on your phone! 🙂
Jennifer says
If it makes you feel better, Dr. Stewart is our neighbor and his wife has told me that the tooth fairy only brings his kids $1.
Unknown says
Uhm, I think the $1 we pay for teeth is perfectly acceptable and more than gracious since I wasn't even allowed to believe in the tooth fairy and got nothing! Granted my oldest who is 9 knows it's us doing it and plays along for the younger one, but it's fun and that is all that matters. They would be lucky if they got free dental floss even for that matter from the tooth fairy.
Anonymous says
We make it special by giving the gold dollar coins instead of a regular greenback. It has worked great.
Anonymous says
Oh my!!! I used to HATE when I lost teeth. It hurt SO BAD!!!!!!! I remember crying all the time. lol.
I think $1 is perfect. Or even the 50 cent coins. Are those still around?
Lora says
I don't have kids yet, but had a good giggle remembering Tooth Fairy visits from my childhood. My brother and I made it so hard on my Mom! We wanted PROOF that the Tooth Fairy came to visit. We would write letters asking the Tooth Fairy to leave a piece of her clothing or a picture taken in our house, and request a handwritten response/autograph. My sweet Momma left white feathers in the hallway, one time she left glitter 'fingerprints' on light switches, and my favorite: the Tooth Fairy left her pantyhose as her 'proof' clothing.
We also went through this at Easter and Christmas. My Mom says she had to be pretty tricky through the years. She made everything so special!
Lora says
I don't have kids yet, but had a good giggle remembering Tooth Fairy visits from my childhood. My brother and I made it so hard on my Mom! We wanted PROOF that the Tooth Fairy came to visit. We would write letters asking the Tooth Fairy to leave a piece of her clothing or a picture taken in our house, and request a handwritten response/autograph. My sweet Momma left white feathers in the hallway, one time she left glitter 'fingerprints' on light switches, and my favorite: the Tooth Fairy left her pantyhose as her 'proof' clothing.
We also went through this at Easter and Christmas. My Mom says she had to be pretty tricky through the years. She made everything so special!
Anonymous says
When I was a kid we got pocket change. And that's what my daughter got too. I had no idea that inflation played into this – lol… Your girls are so cute.
Martha Belle Schultz says
I totally believe that teeth should only go for a dollar. I have a step son whose Mom gives him $5 per tooth and it and it upsets me because he tells his brothers that and I had to tell them about our tooth fairy.
Krista says
We have a tooth pillow that a very talented lady on etsy made for us, the tooth goes in the super cute pocket and then in the morning there is a gold dollar coin and a tooth receipt. (Found the idea on Pinterest and my awesome sister created a template for me) It's a fun way to keep up with the exact date and which tooth it was.
jessicamichelle says
As a teacher, I preeeeeetty much HATE the tooth fairy. Kids come in telling me all kinds of stuff about how they're getting $5 a tooth and I go ca-razy. I got like, .50 a tooth and I was happy with that (maybe because we were living with my grandparents at the time and they were even more old school? maybe we were poor and i just didn't know it?) and I feel like…sure, kids are excited about $10 because, well, I'm still excited about getting $10, but they realize the value of money SO little that they're going to be equally happy with their Dollar Spot (or should I say Hollaaaaa Spot) goodies as they would be with $10. After all, these are the same kids who tell me that if they had $100, they would buy a mansion so they don't understand why I'm "so rich" and still driving a 14 year old car. 😉
Paula says
We do $5 for the first and $1 for each tooth after. There are plenty of reasonable parents out there. We are happy to be some of them. Keep up the good work too!
Jessica T. says
Oh gosh! Brenna is a super dramatic tooth falling out-er too! Do you remember the one that hung there for 3 weeks all ugly, which hung on so long her gums started to bleed? When I finally yanked that thing out her root was hanging down from her gums the full length of her tooth. IT WAS UGLY! When her first tooth fell out she actually freaked out so bad she threw her tooth across the room after it fell into her hand. LOL. First tooth she got $5 and the rest she has gotten only $1. A $1 is sufficient! Sam is VERY sad he hasn't lost any teeth yet. He didn't like the fact that Brenna was losing all these teeth and he still had a full mouth. Now that Aubrielle has lost one, the competitiveness has moved to a whole new level… "It's just not fair that EVERYONE is losing teeth!" LOL
Katie says
We do $5 for the first and last tooth, and $1 for every other tooth. But I know several people who pay $10 per tooth. I'm not made out of money.
Laura says
We leave the dollar coins, ya know the cool golden coins, usually a small handful (3-5) for the 1st tooth and then 1 for each tooth after that. I think celebrating the first tooth with an extra special treat is fine but seriously EACH tooth that would get expensive quick!
Laura says
We give our kids the gold dollar coins when they lose teeth. For the 1st tooth we give a small handful, like 3-5 coins, but each tooth after that is just 1 coin per tooth. I feel like celebrating the first with something extra special is okay but to do it for every tooth would get expensive quick.
Unknown says
The mom's group that I'm in through church talked about this a little bit last fall. They were talking about how much pressure moms/parents have to live up to the expectations that other kids' parents put on them by doing things like competing over how much a tooth fairy brings. Did you know there's an app to tell you how much you should pay per tooth based on your income, education, city, and a few other demographics? How's that for ridiculous? Anyway, my child won't be getting anything exceptional when her first tooth falls out.
Michelle says
A dollar is plenty! We do silver dollars to make it special. 😉
Tamra says
I can't stand pulling teeth or letting the kids keep their teeth. So I pay them $1 to throw them away! =D and the bonus is that I don't keep forgetting to go in and put the money under their pillow.
vintagevioletstyle says
I like the idea of using the "golden" dollars. That seems to up the special-ness of it without breaking the bank. 🙂
I'm nervous to hit the teeth losing phase, because I was a hanger-on-er and cannot imagine pulling my child's tooth. Yikes! I hope Daddy is better about it than I am, or our girls are going to be in trouble. 🙂
Ashley says
Keepin' it real here. My kids get $2 a tooth, but only if the Tooth Fairy remembers to show up at all. It's sad, I know…
Ashley says
Keepin' it real here. My kids get $2 per tooth, if the tooth fairy remembers to show up in the first place. It's sad, I know…
Kristin says
My older daughter has lost 6 teeth and the tooth fairy brings her something different each tooth. Sometimes it's dollar bills, sometimes it has been a 2 dollar bill, a fifty cent piece and dollar coin, etc.. She doesn't ask why she is just so excited to get something. When she lost her first tooth she also got a special Barbie fairy toy that she saw by the cash register at Target and really wanted. I responded saying maybe the tooth fairy will bring it to you and then snuck and purchased it. I think a dollar is fine!!
Lisa E says
I don't have children, but my siblings all do and I observe. $1 per tooth is fine. It's not about the money anyway. Even if one could afford more, more shouldn't be given. There's too much competition for no good reason and there's a whole generation of feeling entitled because of it. It should be about the people and making memories. Everything gets so commercialized. Sad, actually.
Anonymous says
Oh wow! We used to consider ourselves lucky to get a couple quarters growing up when we lost teeth, and my parents thought it was nuts that our tooth fairy brings $1 per tooth for our kid. (Mainly because we seems to always have a $1 bill floating around.)
Nana says
Gosh, when I lost teeth, I think I got 10cents! My have thing changed. I agree with you! I really think that some overdo it and take it to the extreme. I got a little taste of the extreme while watching what happens for Easter. We just make it harder on ourselves to come up with and outdo what others are doing. It's just teeth. No reason to make a killing off teeth! $1.00 sounds great!
controlling craziness says
My kids are happy with a stick of gum (one stick, not a whole pack). Sometimes we mix it up and put a dollar coin with it and a little note since my daughter wrote one to the tooth fairy. She also read Silverlicious – which is the Pinkalicious series about loosing a tooth. It's pretty funny. yeah, I know what you mean about some parents paying $5 for a tooth – ridiculous
Wendy says
I also have identical twins who face loosing teeth the same way yours have! My baby A is all about it- not scared, excited! She's lost two already. Baby B- oh no way. She has two loose right now (the same two A has already lost) and is terrified about it. Different people, different strokes I guess. Regarding the dolla' dolla' bills- that's straight insanity. Baby A got five coins- it was actually .50c. She didn't care about the amount of $$ she got, only the quantity of coins. I could have given her 100 pennies and she'd have been over the moon. If they start griping to me that so-and-so got $5 from the Tooth Fairy, I'll have to remind them that they're welcome to go live there 😛
Anonymous says
My kiddos usually get $1 unless there is some crazy circumstance like my oldest daughter "lost" hers at school and we never saw it she got a fariy gift card for $5 but my second daughter lost 4 teeth in the matter of 1 week. I didn't know how she would be able to eat. She got $10 cause she saved the teeth and put them under her pillow one night.
Lori says
Our kids get a $1 coin per tooth. But… I got caught in a conversation and now they know the tooth fairy is me. 🙁 So, they just turn in their tooth for whatever change I have laying around. I'm a lame parent.
Dina says
We're all about the $1 coins. We've had a few rolls that we've been using for tooth fairy money since the oldest lost his first. The kids love it, especially when they're still really young. It always gets spent in a local candy store that still sells penny candy (although they're $.10-.25 now). It's the only time the kids are allowed to blow money on candy, and it's the only time we encourage them to spend money on something fun today instead of save for tomorrow. And they always end up sharing their loot. Fingers crossed that it's teaching them something!
Mix of 6 says
As a mother of 4, the going rate in my house $1 per tooth. It's bad enought I'm paying over $2,000 for braces on the new teeth, anything more for the old baby teeth…forget it! 🙂
However, my youngest son/checkerboard-smile-Jack O Lantern, wanted to know if he had a boy or girl tooth fairy the other day.
We leave our teeth under our pillows. I convinced him to leave his tooth in a small cup of water that night, so that when the tooth fairy went "swimming" for his tooth, maybe some of fairy's magic would 'wash off'. Sure enough, not only did some of the Tooth Fairy's magically green coloring wash off, but a silver dollar was left in the glass of water. Needless to say, he was more than thrilled he has a boy tooth fairy, could have cared less about the money.
Mix of 6 says
Our tooth fairy has had "busy" nights before. The kids understand…luckily.
Santa AND the Tooth Fairy came together last year. That was nuts!
Valerie says
as parents, we don't do the tooth fairy, but we are weird and think lying to kids in the name of fun is silly. 😉 I did give our first child a quarter for her 1st lost tooth, but we told her it was from us, her parents, and she was just as excited.
Angela says
You are not cheap!
We give $1. For the first bottom teeth we gave a 'Susan B Anthony' dollar because my husband had them from when we was a child. We plan to give gold dollars for the top front teeth. We might give two dollars for the back molars since they will be older but I'm not thinking that far ahead!
I've asked children in my twins class what they got from the tooth fairy and the responses vary – from 5 cents to 5 dollars a tooth!
Larissa says
Hooray from Brazil!
As kids, we never get tooth fairy money. In fact, there's no such "legend" here. We learn about the tooth fairy from North American movies, hehe.
We do get a lot of love from our parents, but we think there's no point in rewarding someone for a natural thing that happens to everybody. O_o
That would be like giving "period fairy money" to a girl in her first period!?
It's not like a graduation and stuff, when you accomplish something…
Anyway, I know you love your children, it's just something to think about and maybe add up to the discussion. 🙂
birdyboots says
Yes, ours get a $1 — but they prefer bills to coins… one time the TF didn't have any dollars and gave her 4 quarters — needless to say she was DISAPPOINTED!
On a side note, our dentist is Dr. Stewart also, in central Iowa tho 😉
Amanda says
I think I might have done a $5 bill for each of their first ones but it was $1 after that. We're on to molars now and so they pull out a tooth, hand it to me and put out their palm for a buck. It's sort of funny so I do it. We also had the rule that if you pulled a tooth out after 6pm the tooth fairy didn't have enough notice to put you on her nightly schedule so she'd come the next night. 😀
Regarding Jocey's issues with tooth pulling, I have pulled out all but 2 or 3 of my son's teeth. For a long while I pulled them after he fell asleep, by that time they were hanging my littly gummy threads. Now that we're talking molars and I can't get my hand in his mouth while he's sleeping, he just lets me do it. My daughter was a yanker, if that thing is remotely loose she'll have it out in an hour. Kids are hilarious.
Stacey says
When I was little, my parents gave us a quarter for each lost tooth. I had to get 7 teeth pulled once, and that night, I only got $1. Which was a total rip-off…but I'm over it. I've heard of kids getting crazy things, like an x-box for losing a tooth! I think we'll stick to $.25. Maybe $.50 if they're lucky 🙂
Dawn says
When my kids started losing teeth, we went out and got a stash of gold $1 coins and kept them hidden in our closet so that we always had one on hand!
Mae says
In order to minimize competition with other local Tooth Fairies, ours brings only International Coins! It's a chore to set up your stash, but it can be done by begging every international traveler you know for leftover change. So far, there has been only one duplicate between 2 boys. I love trying to match the country or image on the coin to something the tooth fairy can write about in her note – of course it's printed in 7-8 pt handwriting font on a small piece of paper, covered in fairy dust (aka diamond dust glitter). Yes, I get way too into it, but figure it will be a time of imagination that is over too soon. Rather than money, I want them to have memories of their childhood and how they could believe in the extraordinary for a little time…
Anonymous says
I only got 25 cents when I was little and that was only like 30 years ago. But we do dollar Coins. The fact that it's a coin instead of paper seems to be more exciting for them.
Jeanette says
We do a golden dollar per tooth also. We also do a small prize that is tooth related….a new toothbrush, toothpaste, flossers or sugar free gum. All very small and nothing elaborate!
Kylie says
My dad was our dentist and always said he had an "in" with the Tooth Fairy. So we would either give our tooth to him and he gave us a dollar if we pulled it out ourselves, or 50 cents if he pulled it (the Fairy paid he back next time they ran into each other), or we left our tooth in a baggie on the fridge (that's the first place she would go because flying made her hungry). I guess he never had to forget to come get it from under our pillow. Smart man. 🙂
Kylie says
My dad was a dentist and always told us that he had an "in" with the tooth fairy. So we would give our tooth to him and he would give us $1, and he would make the trade with the fairy next time they ran into each other. Or we would put it in a bag on the fridge because after flying all the night the tooth fairy would be hungry and the fridge was always the first place she went. My parents never had to hunt for teeth under our pillows. Smart people. 🙂
Harmony Gibbs says
Wow, I know i'm a odd duck but i didnt realize things had gotten this crazy. When i was little it was usually change or a dollar.
You see, the thing is i dont like the idea of santa or the tooth fairy. I want my kid to understand that things like money and toys dont just appear. They are worked for, and earned. If i do ever have kids, the dollar would be from me, and they would put the tooth in a memory jar for when their older. I guess thats just how i am. 🙂
P B&J says
Our daughter watched a very timely episode of Word World (PBS Show) and the tooth fairy brought coins and a lollipop. Not sure why the tooth fairy would bring candy, but we stuck to the coins (adding up to a dollar or less) and the lollipop.
P B&J says
Before our daughter lost her first tooth she watched a very timely episode of Word World (PBS show). The tooth fairy brought coins and a lollipop. Not too sure why the tooth fairy would bring candy, but we went with it anyway. She get coins (usually adding up to $1 or less) and a lollipop. Our tooth fairy also leaves sparkles (different colored sequins) in the mix.
Sixty-Fifth Avenue says
super cute post! Tooth fairy money it a tricky one because everyone is getting something different. We only have one child so we have given $5.00, then she can go to 5 below or somewhere and pick something out if she wants. Next teeth she looses it will be a couple dollars and a pack of gum. It is a lot for one tooth but if we had three kids, it would definitely be one dollar! 🙂
Danny.April says
WOW! And I was just thinking that $1 is awesome, I think I got like 50 cents when I was little. You've got 3 kids loosing teeth at the same time that $1 will add up man 🙂 I love that it's glittery though!! I will have to remember that for the future, like pixie dust 🙂 that is awesome! I hadn't heard of all that big stuff either, for teeth? Maybe you could do something big for each of your girls once they loose all their baby teeth? Then it would be extra special.
Anonymous says
The tooth fair was our child's first exposure to matching funds. We gave $1 per tooth. We encouraged her to save by matching her tooth-fairy savings when all the baby teeth were gone.
Anonymous says
When I was a kid, we received a half dollar coin, and it was awesome!
Bella Storia says
When the Tooth Fairy came to my house as a kid I'd get a sprinkle of "fairy dust" (iridescent glitter) under my pillow, $1-2 rolled up dollar bills wrapped with tiny ribbon, and sometimes a strand of dress-up beads, stickers, or tiny trinket for when I lost a molar. The money was cool, but I was always way more excited about the "fairy dust" and the tiny (inexpensive) fairy gifts. It's about the memories, not the money!
Bella♥Storia says
When the Tooth Fairy came to my house as a kid I'd get a sprinkle of "fairy dust" (iridescent glitter) under my pillow, $1-2 rolled up dollar bills wrapped with tiny ribbon, and sometimes a strand of dress-up beads, stickers, or tiny trinket for when I lost a molar. The money was cool, but I was always way more excited about the "fairy dust" and the tiny (inexpensive) fairy gifts. It's about the memories, not the money!
Unknown says
I think i got about $5 for my first tooth (because it was a milestone and also because my little brother knocked it out so i endured some pain for that one haha!) After that my mom gave me $1-2 dollars, but she always sprayed them with glitter body spray so they sparkled and smelled great. I think sometimes we would get a snack with it too.
Anonymous says
looking very cutie .
i love this post really awesome 🙂
For more you can check my link below . . .
Best teeth whitening in Liverpool | Cheapest teeth whitening in Liverpool