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Tooth Fairy Phobia
Rated by 3 members
"That gap is so big, I could shop for khakis in there," a friend teased Grace as she proudly showed him the latest void left by her third lost tooth.
The third time's a charm, I hoped to myself. After two previous attempts, we thought we'd finally gotten the whole Tooth Fairy thing down. Not so — my 6-year-old had developed a Tooth Fairy phobia.
The first time we left a tooth under the pillow, Grace got up three times in the night from excitement, and the poor Tooth Fairy was barely able to complete her mission.
The second time it took the Tooth Fairy two nights to covertly secure Grace's tooth due to light sleeping brought on by anticipation.
And this third time, anticipation had given way to full-blown anxiety. Before bedtime, as we slipped the tooth under the pillow, she said, "Mama, I'm nervous. If I wake up while the Tooth Fairy's here, I'll be scared."
Scared? Of the Tooth Fairy? It had never dawned on me. I felt dense for not realizing how sensible it is for a child to lie awake, fearfully anticipating a stranger entering her room in the middle of the night — no matter how benign, charming, and generous she might be.
After clearing up a few things — the Tooth Fairy is not a big grown-up, but more like a light-as-a-feather Barbie-sized sprite; she won't get tired and fall asleep in a child's bed, where she might bite in self-defense if a child accidentally rolls upon her; and she doesn't play mischievous tricks like Tinkerbell — we decided to ask her for a little favor.
Grace wrote the Tooth Fairy a short note asking if she could forego the whole under-the-pillow technicality and inquired if the Tooth Fairy would mind conducting the transaction in another part of the house.
We left the little letter, along with the tooth, downstairs on the kitchen table in a teacup. Grace slept soundly and in the morning found a buck twenty-five in the cup. We surmised the twenty-five cent bonus was a reward for being so honest about how she felt and coming up with a good solution. That Tooth Fairy is so nice.
Member Comments On…
Tooth Fairy Phobia
At our house even as a child we left the tooth on a paper towel under a clear cup. One time it was very very benificial to me. My Dad was working Two jobs and my Mother would have to pick him up from work in the middle of the night. They left money under the napkin but forgot to take the tooth. My oldest brother thought that they had been to tired to remember and left money in the next layer up, He then too forgot the tooth. My second brother thus thought I had been forgoten and left money in the next layer of the paper towel he thought Mom might save the teeth(she didn't) and left it behind. My third brother came by and saw the tooth and left money and took the tooth. By the time I got up the next day I made 5 bucks!!1 I usually only got a quarter. So remember take the tooth if there are teenage siblings who care, otherwise who knows how you'll explain why the next tooth wasn't worth as much.
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I just had to comment since the tooth fairy just visited my son for his first naturally lost tooth (he had to have one pulled when he was 4). It goes in a little box the dentist gave us and inside the pillow case under the pillow so it's less likely to get lost, then is magically replaced with a silver dollar. In the morning we find a sprinkling of fairy dust leading from the window to the bed. Good thing my kids are heavy sleepers. At our house, Santa goes into their rooms too. He leaves their stockings at the foot of the bed. They're allowed to open and play with anything in their stockings, but they're not allowed to wake up mom and dad. It works great!!!!
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I read this somewhere AFTER the TF had already visited our house, so it isn't an option for me, but soo cute that I had to pass along.
When the tooth fairy writes a note to your child, put it in a VERY small font (or write very small) on a small piece of paper, maybe rolled up like a scroll. Remember the TF is quite small herself and can only carry a SMALL piece of paper.
I would have loved for my son to pull out his magnifing glass to read the TF's note. =)
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We have never used the pillow idea, and neither did my mom. Teeth always go into a cup of water on the table. The water cleans out the blood by morning so the teeth can be saved.
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When our daughter lost her first tooth, we purchased a special tooth pillow for her to put her tooth in. She was worred to put it under her pillow, so we hung it from the corner of her bed. She received 2 gold dollars and a letter from the TF thanking her for the tooth and keep up the good work on brushing because her tooth was very clean and white. She has since lost two more teeth and loves having the pillow to put her teeth in. It's funny just the other day she asked if the TF would give her teeth back some day?
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My daughter wouldn't part with her tooth (either time so far) so she left a note asking tooth fairy to please not take her tooth (she needed to take it to school and show friends, ugh!).
Wish I had thought of starting a new tradition- leaving it anywhere but under the pillow, but at least she's a heavy sleeper, once asleep...
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Our daughter lost her 1st tooth 3 days before Christmas. She was so excited. Her best friend in her class was the only other child that had lost a tooth and when her TF came she got money and a special gift for the 1st tooth. My daughter was sure to remind me of that when hers came out. We have a TF pillow that can hang on door knob or nighstand and we put the tooth in there. For her 1st tooth she got $5.oo and a Hannah Montana watch and a letter from the TF saying how proud she was and that she had a very special place she would keep her tooth. In the letter the TF said since it was the 1st tooth she got a little extra but after that one she would only have one prize (money) from now on, she also left some pink pixie dust in the letter & on her night stand. My daughter loved this and now she has 2 more loose teeth and can't wait for the TF to come again.
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My daughter has a special Tooth Fairy Box that we picked up at a craft fair. It is very small and it is decorated with fairies and stars. It makes it much easier for the TF to not have to go under the pillow!
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We told our kids (2 boys) that the toothfairy would melt if she got wet so we leave the tooth in a cup of water on their dresser- that way I don't worry about waking them by trying to reach under the pillow. They have never questioned it or the fact that we keep the teeth!
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We put the tooth in a glass of water on the dresser (to keep it fresh) so our light sleeper wouldn't wake up from us trying to put it under her pillow. Then we sprinkled a little glitter (fairy dust) around the room.
She was never afraid of the tooth fairy but was crushed when she found out years later she was make believe.
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