The Best Tooth Fairy Tips For Parents

Playing the role of Tooth Fairy is a right of passage for parents, and for most, it’s a job we want to take seriously. It only takes forgetting to leave a Tooth Fairy treat one time, to understand the importance of being a good fairy for your kids.

Losing a tooth is one of the most celebrated rites of passage during childhood, so make losing teeth a memorable experience for your children with our best Tooth Fairy tips for parents.

Plan Ahead

The first step in being the best kind of Tooth Fairy is to be a fairy that plans in advance of the first tooth loss. As a general rule of thumb, always keep it light, and make it fun.

Don’t Forget

Make yourself a reminder of some sort as soon as a tooth is lost. This is especially important to avoid having your six-year-old burst into your room in the morning with crocodile-tears stating that the Tooth Fairy forgot them. Whether a blank post-it note on the bathroom mirror (kids can read!) or you set an alarm on your phone, just remember. An entire day can pass between the time the actual tooth falls out and the time the Tooth Fairy comes to visit, so no system of reminders is too elaborate.

Don’t Set the Bar Too High

Spreading glitter all around and leaving a trail of tiny gifts may seem like a great idea now, but remember not to set the bar too high. Kids compare notes at school, and other parents may not be as into your over-the-top display as you are. Also, keep in mind that you need to select a strategy that works long term so you can use the same method for all of your children going forward.

Keep a Stash

Each child loses 20 teeth, so make things easy on yourself and purchase 20 of whatever gift the tooth fairy gives ahead of time. Planning ahead will keep you from running to the store or frantically searching through the house for coins at 11pm. Be sure to hide your stash well enough so your kids can’t find it, because the older they get, the more they will be onto you. Not keeping a stash is one way parents accidentally raise the bar. Don’t find yourself as the Tooth Fairy with nothing smaller than a twenty-dollar bill.

Design an Effective Swap Technique

Your child may think it’s a great idea to “hide” their tooth, so they don’t lose it, but the Tooth Fairy will not! Save yourself a lot of stress and have your kids leave all teeth placed inside a special tooth holder right on the kitchen counter, or use a hanging pillow on the outside of their door to avoid any accidental wake-ups.

Have a Backup Plan

If the Tooth Fairy does happen to forget to visit, all is not lost. Just ask your child to go back to their bedroom and “really look around.” Unconventional coin placement should do the trick as to why they didn’t see the cash first thing in the morning.

Get Creative

While an eight or nine-year-old may be excited about the money, a younger child will probably be happier with a special treat. Depending on how extravagant you want to get, the Tooth Fairy is known to have a bit of mystery and magic to her. Make it a total experience with special touches like:

• Glitter spray to create fairy dust on a special note or a dollar bill
• Leave a trail of glitter on the windowsill
• Have the Tooth Fairy leave a tiny handwritten note

Deciding on what type of Tooth Fairy you are going to be is a great way to share a bonding experience with your child. These types of traditions you share with your children will be carried on when they start having children of their own too.

Believing in the Tooth Fairy is also a great way to keep oral hygiene fun! Have any Tooth Fairy tips we should add to our list? Let Dr. Baudean know at your next exam!