A one-on-one with the tooth fairy: Your child’s milk teeth
When it comes to your child’s baby teeth, do you keep those pearly whites and what is the tooth fairy’s going rate?
Teeth are big business for young ones, as they get to earn an income from having gaps in their mouths.
It sounds like an easy enough job for them but could become a complex one for mom and dad. Do you keep the teeth? And if so, where? How much do you (aka, the Tooth Fairy) pay up for each tooth? How do you answer the “what does the Tooth Fairy do with my teeth” question?”
All of these questions contribute to the fun of raising kids!
Where do parents store milk teeth?
From squirrelling them away in wallets to keeping them safe in a hidden box, here’s where moms and dads store their kids’ teeth:
In their purses and wallets
This is an odd one, but some parents keep the tooth where they get the money! This is understandable when you’ve forgotten to do the ‘exchange’ and you have to sneak into your child’s bedroom quickly before they wake up. It’s important, however, that parents don’t forget to get rid of the “evidence”.
In a container in a safe place
The last thing you want is to be caught in a lie. That is exactly what would happen if your child accidentally found your stash of teeth! You’d have to explain why you have them instead of the Tooth Fairy who’s meant to collect them to make a shiny castle. This narrative is followed by many moms who use it to ensure that their kids take care of their teeth. Apparently, the Tooth Fairy does not like, nor use, rotten and dirty teeth. So, the better the kids take care of their teeth, the more money they get to make.
Down the toilet
Some parents are not as sentimental as others and see no use in keeping their child’s milk teeth. If you are this parent and see no use, then down the toilet they go!
In a box with dates in each compartment
For the sentimental parents, a compartmentalised box works wonders. Moms and dads keep them there with a date of when each fell off.
The going rate for milk teeth
The price ranges from R10-R300 for some moms. However, the general going rate is R50 for most parents. Some parents even drop the price as more teeth fall out because they soon realise the initial price they set is hardly realistic. The first tooth falling out is an exciting time and decisions made out of excitement are not always the most sensible. This money-making scheme is also a good opportunity for parents to teach some financial management. Getting them a piggy bank to store their money is a good start to a flourishing tooth career for them.
