Our tooth fairy is cheaper than your tooth fairy

[BIGBEAR/PIXABAY]

Back in May, I was talking with my oldest brother, who has a daughter the same age as mine, about baby teeth. His little girl has lost several. My daughter had, at that point, lost zero.

“So what’s the going rate for the tooth fairy these days?” I asked.

He held up five fingers.

“Five dollars?” I asked incredulously. 

He nodded. 

I had no idea how deep the tooth fairy’s pockets are. I knew the quarter I had received as a kid wouldn’t be sufficient anymore, but 20 times that amount? 

I asked a friend who has a daughter one year younger than mine what she’s given her child (who has already lost several teeth, too.)

She gives $5 for the first tooth and $2 a tooth after that.

That’s a little closer to my speed, but still more than I’d have expected.

My husband isn’t keen on the idea of giving $5 per tooth either. If our daughter were to ask why her cousin gets more for her teeth than she does, "we'll just tell her the tooth fairy in our city is cheap!"

I like the idea of zoned tooth fairies.

Flash forward to Labor Day weekend, when my daughter, finally, at age 7, lost her first tooth. She was excited, I was excited, my husband was exited.

Later than night after our daughter went to bed, we hashed out how much she would get for each tooth and settled on $3, which, to be honest, is higher than I thought my husband would be willing to go.

The next morning, my daughter was thrilled to find her tooth gone and $3 in its place.

Only 19 more teeth, or $57 more, to go.


How much does the tooth fairy dole out in your household? Share your answer in the comments below.