What’s the deal with the Tooth Fairy?

I’m a pretty avid reader of Oh Baby! and yesterday Sandy posted a blog about the tooth fairy. I got to talking with a few friends and, to be honest, I think it’s hilarious.

The tradition of rewarding children for their teeth started in Europe. In some northern European countries children were rewarded for their first cut tooth. In other countries, like Ireland and England, they would reward their child for their sixth tooth lost with money left under their pillow with their tooth for encouragement of a child’s growth.

Why are we lying to our kids? The Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, Easter bunny – its no wonder that by the time they’re teens they don’t trust us!

That’s not even the hilarious part – we’re rewarding them for something that is completely natural. A few years later, when they get their first pubic hair, will you give them a $50? Will you be rewarding your kid for their first zit? Should we continue the masquerade and create the puberty fairy?

Yes, losing your teeth, especially your first tooth, is a right of passage. But lets be honest, it’s not something unique to your child. Why should there be a fictional character who visits to give them money for something that they can’t control and would happen regardless?

Why don’t we, instead, reward our kids for doing well in school? For reading a book by themselves? For understanding a new concept? We should reward our children for doing things they can be proud of, that they accomplished, not just something that happened to them.

Can someone explain why we do this? Personally, I think its ridiculous. And you can bet that when my children reach tooth-losing age there will be no teeth or money exchanged by some magical fairy.

The period fairy, on the other hand, she visits all the time.

– Maria S.