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Why our tooth-fairy is so generous
Categories: Development, Media, Education
Unlike Angelina Jolie, we are not counted among the uber-rich. Heck, we're not even what you'd call wealthy, let alone independently so. So why does our tooth fairy hand out five-dollar bills for what was once a twenty-five-cent tooth? It turns out that, just like on the playground or in the hallowed halls of school, there is peer pressure in the world of dental mythology.
Once upon a time, we shared a house with my wife's brother and his family. Jared was, at the time, a year or two old and their son was two years older than that. When my nephew lost his first tooth, it was, of course, a big deal. Having an older sister, he was well aware of the monetary reward for placing the tooth under his pillow and he did so with great excitement.
Unfortunately, the smallest denomination my brother-in-law had was a five-dollar-bill. No one else had any change either. It was late and he wasn't terribly interested in heading out into the night for change, so the boy found a fiver under his pillow come morning. That, of course, set the standard and he has gotten five dollars for every tooth since.
Now Jared had already lost two teeth by the time his cousin had lost his first and we hadn't bothered with the tooth fairy story. Once his cousin lost a tooth, however, Jared heard all about it and so we gave in to the ritual. And, naturally, since the going rate for teeth was a fin, that's what we had to come up with.
So, the moral of the story is, if you're going to do the whole tooth-under-the-pillow thing with your kids, decide what the tooth-exchange rate will be in advance and make sure you have plenty of the right bills or coins on hand before they start falling out. You don't want your kids' teeth to cost you a fortune before you even get to the orthodontist. Trust me on this.
Once upon a time, we shared a house with my wife's brother and his family. Jared was, at the time, a year or two old and their son was two years older than that. When my nephew lost his first tooth, it was, of course, a big deal. Having an older sister, he was well aware of the monetary reward for placing the tooth under his pillow and he did so with great excitement.
Unfortunately, the smallest denomination my brother-in-law had was a five-dollar-bill. No one else had any change either. It was late and he wasn't terribly interested in heading out into the night for change, so the boy found a fiver under his pillow come morning. That, of course, set the standard and he has gotten five dollars for every tooth since.
Now Jared had already lost two teeth by the time his cousin had lost his first and we hadn't bothered with the tooth fairy story. Once his cousin lost a tooth, however, Jared heard all about it and so we gave in to the ritual. And, naturally, since the going rate for teeth was a fin, that's what we had to come up with.
So, the moral of the story is, if you're going to do the whole tooth-under-the-pillow thing with your kids, decide what the tooth-exchange rate will be in advance and make sure you have plenty of the right bills or coins on hand before they start falling out. You don't want your kids' teeth to cost you a fortune before you even get to the orthodontist. Trust me on this.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ann Adams 9-29-2007 @ 4:57PM
He could have left a note from the tooth fairy.
You owe me 4 teeth.
Seriously, some of my neighbors give $5/tooth but with 3 of them losing teeth at the same time, I would have been bankrupt. Girls still don't understand why their tooth fairy is so cheap.
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Tina 9-29-2007 @ 5:49PM
I left $1 when my son lost his first tooth, and 50c for his second. I don't see why the tooth fairy always has to leave the same amount. My son was happy with the 2 shiny quarters. I think $5 is ridiculous!
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Tsoniki 9-29-2007 @ 8:41PM
My six year old DD has lost six (or seven? I admit I've lost count) teeth so far - and for one she rec'd a $20. We made sure she knew that was a ONE time thing and she was very happy with her $1 the next time around.
The amounts have always varied, which can be crazy when one tooth is lost on a Wednesday and the next on Sunday!
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michelle 9-29-2007 @ 8:41PM
We do different things for each tooth from the tooth fairy. Gold dollar coins, silver dollars, Kennedy half dollars. I'm saving a $2 bill I got in change for the next tooth. I have heard of $5 for the first tooth, (we didn't do it) but I don't know anyone who gives $5 for every tooth (we are in the SF Bay Area too.) We are talking about 6 and 7 year olds - what do they need that kind of money for?
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Clarissa 9-30-2007 @ 10:56AM
We left a dollar for the first tooth, and the amounts varied after that according to the condition of the tooth. If it was a little yellow we left 75 cents, if it hadn't been brushed we left 10 cents and so on. It taught our daugther that in order to get the high dollar from the tooth fairy her teeth HAD to be taken care of. The tooth fairy always left a not explaining why she didn't leave the full dollar.
After all she recycles teeth and the better conditon they are in the less she has to do to prepare them for the next owner.
5 bucks is way too much!
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Karen 9-30-2007 @ 11:34AM
My children get $5 per tooth. Clearly it isn't in exchange for the tooth, it isjust a nice tradition and that is what all of her friends get as well. What does she need $5 for? Well, she saves her money for extras just like I do.
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Uly 9-30-2007 @ 2:23PM
Tina is right. Say that the $5 was for the VERY FIRST TOOTH EVER, and that the fee is reduced in the future.
I mean, when I was 9, I had 4 adult teeth pulled, they didn't fit in my (small) jaw. (Not wisdom teeth, those are still coming in and I haven't dealt with them because they're coming in where the adult teeth were, so that's all right.) I got something like $25 off of them the next day, because, dude, *they had to be pulled*. It was a special thing, and certainly the last time I ever got money for teeth, and I knew it. (I milked this experience for all it was worth, by the way, and substisted on pudding for three days while staying home from school, even though I felt fine to eat real food and go to class after one day, because, well - if my parents would let me, I felt I ought to do it.)
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Heather 9-30-2007 @ 6:47PM
Personally we haven't had to deal with the tooth fairy yet, but I think it is a matter of what you want to do as far as trade for the used tooth.
I do have a comment about the tooth in the picture thought, that is OUCH! I don't think I have ever seen one with a piece off the bottom like that before.
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rebecca Biernesser 9-30-2007 @ 10:22PM
My sister in law does the whole 5 dollar thing, but it's b/c when the kids were little she used thier birthday money for thing slike getting diapers and food and now feels bad about it...
We haven't hit the whole tooth fairy thing, but I can say I'm not using 5 bucks...lol...I'm cheap and don't keep that kind of cash around...we are usually lucky to have a buck laying around.
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Roger Sinasohn 9-30-2007 @ 11:40PM
Clarissa -- that is a great idea! I'll bet your kids keep their teeth spotless!
Michelle -- What do they need that kind of money for? Well, Stanford ain't cheap! 8^)
Heather -- Yeah, that's Jared's actual tooth. I think that long bit is probably what hurt coming out. It sure impressed me!
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Uly 10-02-2007 @ 2:06AM
Wait, that's his tooth? Yes, then, that's definitely a high dollar tooth.
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