We’ve had an extra little boy staying with us off and on all summer. He’s great to have around, he fits right in with our sons, he eats whatever I put in front of him and he says “Yum, Laura – that was good”. Yes, he can stay anytime.
The other night as I was reading to the boys as they were winding down for bed (The Great Turkey Walk…ever read it? EXCELLENT book!!)…anyway…the other night while I was reading to the boys suddenly our young house guest sat straight up in bed and presented us all with his freshly lost tooth! The book was quickly set aside, Kleenexes were fetched, and the gaping hole in the mouth was proudly displayed. There was much tooth loss celebration all around.
Everyone finally settled back down and I picked the book back up again to start reading. Our house guest, however, sort of just sat there holding his tooth in his hand with a puzzled look on his face as if to say, “Um, what am I supposed to do with this now?” I’m sure if he was at his own house, he would have put it right under his pillow and laid down to dream of the soon-t0-be monetary exchange for his hard earned tooth pulling endeavors. But what’s a kid to do at someone else’s house? Would the tooth fairy even know where to find him since he was in a completely different house in a completely different town?
I stopped reading and suggested that he go ahead and put the tooth under his pillow. He shrugged, nodded and stuck it under the pillow, then lay down to listen to the book.
I continued to read, but suddenly in the back of my mind I began to contemplate what should be done. We were happy to be the tooth fairy for him…but um…when the tooth fairy comes to our house, she is incredibly, totally and absolutely stingy. A tight wad. Barely leaves a thing. Guessing that we may be the cheapest tooth fairy on the planet, I began to grow a little concerned that our friend may be less than excited in the morning when he stuck his hand under the pillow and in exchange for his tooth, he found…a quarter?! Is that IT? After he’d gone through so many years of wearing that tooth and brushing it and chewing with it and smiling with it? Seriously, a quarter?
It was too late to call his mom to ask what she would have done. Plus, I didn’t really want our kids to have any idea that the tooth fairy could actually bring more than a quarter for a lost tooth. As far as they know, the tooth fairy only owns quarters.
We have four kids, which is a total of 80 lost teeth. We’re happy to give them more money for things such as mowing a lawn, but just for losing a tooth? We (um, the tooth fairy part of we) plan to be boring and cheap and continue to always and forever leave a quarter. Our kids never complain. Money is money.
I had no need for worry. Our guest happily presented his quarter the next morning (either he was just being polite, or he was truly happy to have it). But it did cause me to wonder:
How much does the tooth fairy leave for lost teeth at your house? Are we the cheapest tooth fairy people on the planet?
Um, my kids may need to avoid talking to your kids about this subject for obvious reasons.