My son lost his first tooth a few months before his 6th birthday. That’s a totally normal age to lose a tooth and it was not at all unexpected as it had been loose for what seemed like months. But still, I wasn’t prepared to be the Tooth Fairy. It happened on a Saturday evening right before his bedtime and I wasn’t about to head out searching for a special pillow or pouch. Our printer was out of color ink so any certificate I printed off was going to be in black and white (not sure that ‘bland’ is the look the tooth fairy generates in most kids minds).
Losing a tooth is such an exciting experience for kids, so I had to come up with a plan, and come up with it fast! Here are my tips to help make sure you’re prepared when your role as the Tooth Fairy arrives:
Go Ahead and Order a Tooth Fairy Pillow Now
Even if your oldest child’s first set of teeth are still coming in, you’ll be glad you have a tooth pillow/pouch/bag on hand. We used a ziploc bag out of necessity the first time but I immediately ordered a pouch for all future teeth. His next tooth came out a couple of weeks later and I was so glad to be prepared this time! Plus, it was super exciting for my son to have a special place to put his sparkling tooth for the tooth fairy. Etsy has a ton of cute and inexpensive options to check out in this category.
Have Money on Hand
Before I get into this point, let’s discuss the price of a tooth. I’ve heard of the tooth fairy giving some kids $20 for a tooth. $20! That’s just a tad ridiculous in my opinion. Let’s press reset on that and all agree that a tooth is worth anywhere from $0.25 – $2.00. Our tooth fairy brings $1. She brought a dollar bill the first time and four quarters the second. Next time it may be a silver dollar. Whatever you choose, in this age of not always having cash readily on hand, go ahead and start collecting payment options in a jar. I, unfortunately, did not have a dollar on hand that evening and ended up using one that I snuck out of my sons wallet. Yes, I paid him for his sparkler with his own money! Shameful mom moment, but I did replace it the next day!
Gather Some Printables
I may have overcompensated in this category since I wasn’t at all prepared for this moment. If you’re on Pinterest, go ahead and do a search for Tooth Fairy Certificate, Tooth Fairy Receipt, Tooth Fairy Report…you get the idea. If you come across something you like, save it so you’re ready to print when the big day comes. And make sure you have color ink in your printer so you’re not up late on a Saturday night coloring like I was!
Prove the Tooth Fairy Visited
I am not the creative, Pinterest-executing, type, but my good friend Amanda, contributor for Dallas Moms Blog, is and she was the first person I reached out to for tooth fairy ideas. Here are some of the clever ideas she gave me that are easy to pull off:
- sprinkle pixie dust – sprinkle glitter by the window and use a doll to make fairy-sized footprints in it.
- write a fairy-sized letter – cut out a small piece of paper and write a miniature letter from the tooth fairy!
- create a small door on your wall that she uses to get in and out – visit Pinterest for ideas!
- fairy-dusted glitter money – spray some glitter hairspray on your dollar bill and voila!
- leave behind a fairy-sized wand – use a gold fancy toothpick and glue a small glittered star to the top.
Be Prepared to be a Little Sad
It’s so exciting when your baby’s first tooth comes in, and when that same tooth falls out several years later, it really makes you realize how fast they’re growing up. Be excited with you child (because it IS exciting!), but know that it’s totally okay and normal if you shed a tear about it later that night.
Good luck to you, my fellow tooth fairies. May your pillows be on hand, your notes be colorful, and your cameras be ready.
