My 6yo has a loose tooth

Ew. This grosses me out. I have a thing about teeth. I don’t really like them when they are not firmly nestled in gums.

I am a little paranoid that my kids will break or chip their teeth. It pains me to think about it. I cringe when my kids hit their heads and if there is a remote possibility that they have chipped a tooth, I freak out.

This is completely irrational and maybe just a little bit immature. Maybe very immature. Either way, my baby boy has a loose tooth and when he showed it to me I couldn’t hide it – I cringed and my expression was one of worry.

I quickly tried to cover up. “Wow! This is so exciting! You’re growing up and once it falls out the Tooth Fairy will bring you money!”

I don’t know that he bought it.

I don’t think that he likes the idea of a tooth fairy coming into his room while he sleeps and swapping his tooth for money. Weird. I think it’s creepy myself.

When I was a kid we didn’t get visits from the Tooth Fairy. I guess nobody told my Portuguese parents when they got their immigration papers that Canadians give their kids money for their teeth and tell them that it’s a Fairy. Hmmm. Weird.

Anyway, my son had tubes put in his ears when he was about three and when one of them was taken out over a year later, his doctor suggested that he put it under his pillow for the “Tube Fairy”. HUH? I know… Anyway, he smiled and when we left the doctor’s office the first thing he said to me was, “Mommy, I don’t want to put the tube under my pillow.” He looked scared.

So far, he hasn’t been too excited about the Tooth Fairy. Interesting…

One of my Facebook friends suggested that I would have to pull this tooth out. EW. No way am I pulling it out. So I was thinking… My son loves money. He likes to count it, he likes to put it in his piggy bank, he likes to open his sister’s piggy bank and transfer her money into this own. So I thought, maybe I can convince him to pull his tooth out himself.

I can tell him that if he pulls it out, the Tooth Fairy will give him $5 but if it just falls out he’ll only get $2. What do you think? Good idea right? I know… Genius.

So now that I’m on the topic of money, I have no idea what the going rate for a tooth is. I really need to know, so I tweeted it. (obviously) Here’s what I got:

Maybe…

Now we’re talking!

Yes!

Not in this house either!

Interesting…

Good idea!

$20?!

Call me crazy but I think this whole rewarding kids for losing teeth is a little ridiculous (maybe because I never made any money on my teeth). I’m also the person that told my son when he was four that the Santa in the mall isn’t the real Santa. Now that was a bad move. I was back peddling for days. I honestly thought that he’d notice that they all looked different. WRONG.

I’ve decided that the Tooth Fairy will come to our house and she/he will give him $2 and maybe $5 if he pulls it out himself – maybe. I will also suggest that he doesn’t need to put the tooth under his pillow, but maybe on the fireplace mantle, because obviously the Tooth Fairy comes in the same way Santa does. Am I messing this kid up or what?

I may also give him a new toothbrush, some dental floss and a big hug.