My oldest started kindergarten last year and not two weeks into the school year he came home excitedly talking about his friend’s loose tooth. He couldn’t wait to have a loose tooth of his own. Now, this friend is six months older than my son, so I did my best to temper that excitement. I explained that it might not happen until he was closer to six-years-old like his friend and that everyone loses teeth on their own timeline. Well, lo and behold, not two weeks later he said, “Mom, my tooth feels funny.” Sure enough, we had our first loose tooth too. The Tooth Fairy was getting ready!
If you find yourself in a similar boat, “Congratulations! You just got promoted to Tooth Fairy!” Don’t panic! We had at least two weeks before that tooth actually fell out. A year later, he has lost six of those baby teeth. In that time, I have come up with a few tips and tricks to make my role (and yours too!) as Tooth Fairy easier.
Tips and Tricks for the Tooth Fairy
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Head to the Bank – At the first sign of a loose tooth, take a trip to the bank and get 20 small bills, half-dollar coins, or whatever denomination you deem appropriate (we do $2 bills). Squirrel that envelope away in a safe place and you will never be caught without the treasure.
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Set an Alarm – I have an alarm set for 10:30 PM labeled “Surprise!” Whenever a tooth falls out, I just nudge that little alarm to “ON” and I don’t have to think about it again until everyone is soundly asleep. Hopefully, I’m not also asleep, but that hasn’t happened yet. Pro tip: on December 1, switch this alarm to repeat daily and you’re all set for your Elf on the Shelf too!
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Don’t Use Their Pillow – There is no need to risk waking up your child and explaining your presence in their room in the middle of the night. Do yourself a favor, and use a tooth box or special tooth pillow, anything besides slipping that little tooth under their own pillow. It doesn’t need to be expensive. We’re still using the plastic tooth-shaped box that my son’s kindergarten teacher sent home when he lost a tooth at school. It’s much easier to access that little box on his dresser than attempt some high stakes heist moves by making the switch under his sleeping head. Plus, my kid sleeps on the top bunk. No, thanks!
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Leave Behind Some Pennies – If you really want to up the magic and also involve younger siblings, you can “drop” a few pennies on the floor of the bedroom or hallway that the Tooth Fairy left behind on their way out.
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IOU – if you didn’t make it to the bank in time or had to bust into your stash for an emergency Starbucks trip, do not fear, all is not lost! Sometimes the Tooth Fairy leaves an IOU instead. Tiny paper, tiny handwriting, and a promise of money to come should satisfy most little kids, especially if the IOU is repaid the next night. A little bit of glitter will make the note even more special!
Whatever you do, the tooth fairy shouldn’t stress! Creating magic for our kids is an especially fun part of parenting!
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