Monday 13 April 2009

The visit of the tooth fairy



Today my daughter lost a tooth. 

Her third.



When my son first lost a tooth we were in Zambia. The tooth fairy was very clever and realised that if he was paid in Kwacha he would spend them immediately, so she gave him a pound coin. This way, when we came home for a break, he had by then saved up enough to buy something more useful (and less tooth-threatening) than sweets.

Moving to the UK, tooth loss continued, but now he was competing with his classmates. One lost her tooth at school and couldn't find it, and was given £5 (yes, you read that correctly!) as compensation for lost ivory. My son, never to miss a trick, managed to 'lose' a tooth at school, so with great glee told me what the tooth fairy would do. 

She didn't. 

And the next time the tooth wasn't available to put under the pillow he had to write a letter explaining what had happened. You simply cannot guarantee that the tooth fairy can see the gaping hole in your mouth: usually it is shut when you are asleep.

Move forward a year, and my daughter is losing teeth. Wobble ... wobble ... wobble... The first came out at school: no sign of it anywhere. The tooth fairy generously still gave the standard gift. 

The second tooth had a similar fate: we were out for lunch and suddenly the tooth wasn't there. The assumption is that she swallowed it. Whatever, the tooth no long exists, but she was quite adamant that the fairy would visit. (She did).

This afternoon, tooth number 3. In the living room, mum and dad in the next room, brother beside her. Tooth comes out whilst she is eating. Have to assume that, again, she swallowed it, as there is no sign of it anywhere.

What will a decent tooth fairy do? Writing is not my daughter's strength (see earlier blog on spellings...) so I'm reluctant to force her to write a letter like her brother did. But it would be nice if she could keep just one of those little pearls: I've got a lovely little box to put it in!

Are there any Tooth Fairies out there with advice?

6 comments:

calisnenath said...

5POUNDS??? humm.... we are yet to venture in to tooth fairy land, but can she leave cheques/postal orders/pay money directly in to bank accounts?? Then at least it wouldn't all go on sweets! We haven't even started pocket money yet... are we just mean?!

Catharine Withenay said...

You are so lucky not to have lost any teeth yet...

Actually, the T F forgot last night, not that daughter or son noticed!

Maternal Tales said...

Borrow some teeth from other friends whose children have lost them...

easy peasy!

x

Catharine Withenay said...

Oh - I love that idea!

In fact, my son has a wobbler just now ... perhaps it will have a dual purpose (he shares a lot of the same DNA!)

Unknown said...

£5! Wow. Not in our school.

Iota said...

Here in the US, the tooth fairy leaves a present. Well, in other people's houses she does. And they're not just little stocking-filler type presents. We're talking full-blown proper presents.

Sadly for our children, the British tooth fairy must have snuck into our luggage and come with us. They get $2, which was roughly the equivalent of the pound sterling which she used to bring them in the UK. The current exchange rate would make it more like $1.30, but she seems to have maintained her original $2 deposit.

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