Recently, it seems that my girls are growing up at lightning speed. The things they say, the mannerisms, the reading, the attention to detail in their looks, and especially the observations that they make of the world, blow my mind. Here is one of Bella’s gems, as of late. Hint: She thinks the tooth fairy is creepy.
Bella recently lost her very first tooth. It was right around Halloween. She was very excited. Her father and I were (let me honest) pretty sad because, you see, this represents her growing up. This is just another first part of letting go. Bet you never knew losing baby teeth had such a deep meaning, did you?
Though we may not be thrilled about what it symbolizes, you know we had to make a BIG GIGANTIC deal about it. This is the FIRST tooth. Grandma sent a little satin pillow to place the tooth in and put under my Bella’s pillow and there was a little book to record the moment. I snapped pictures and wiped away a tear*sniff, sniff* Another magical, mythical character to complete this childhood fantasy in the books.
It was time to perform our parently duties and perpetuate the myth of the tooth fairy for the first time. We were officially going to be a part of the problem.
It happened on a Thursday, in the middle of the night and Bella told me that she wanted to wait for her Daddy to be home, so he could be part of this momentous occasion. Friday comes, the Big Guy is home, while he and I are hushedly discussing the going rate for a first tooth these days and deciding whether or not one of us had to hit the ATM, Bella walks right up to us and delivers this proclamation;
“Mommy and Daddy, I don’t think I am going to put my tooth under my pillow tonight!”
We look at one another bewildered. We’d been waiting for this milestone first tooth to fall out and the tooth fairy to come. Did I mention she had been waiting for this tooth to fall out since she started kindergarten and all the other kids were missing teeth?
Me:” Why not, sweetie?”
Bella:” Well, Mommy, I was thinking about it and it’s pretty creepy that the tooth fairy comes in the middle of the night and steals my tooth!”
I shake my head in agreement. My husband is stifling his laughter because really he is just a giant 10-year old, plus it was pretty freaking funny. She was dead serious!
Me:” Well, Bella, the fairy doesn’t really steal it. She takes your tooth away and leaves you some money. She buys it!”
Bella: “Mommy, I don’t think my teeth are for sale!”
It’s hard to argue with reason and determination. Y’all know that lying is not my forte anyway. These white lies are one of the hardest parts of motherhood for me.
At least we didn’t plot to murder the tooth fairy
So the kid’s got a point. It is a pretty creepy idea of some little freaky tooth obsessed fairy coming into your bedroom, in the middle of the night, and stealing your discarded teeth away. Who does my Bella think is coming? The tooth fairy? Or the Chupacabra?
Tooth Fairy; Reasons You Shouldn’t Promote this Childhood Myth
In exchange, the fairy leaves the child a little monetary token on their nightstand, like a John would do for his hooker. It’s all very seedy. Perhaps, we should have given this story a little more thought.
I could not in good conscience argue this point with her.
I simply told her: “Bella, you don’t have to give your tooth to the tooth fairy tonight. We can just hold on to it and when /if you decide to leave it for the fairy, we can do that too, OK?”
Bella looks at me perplexed and then she has a eureka look on her face.
Bella: “Mommy, why don’t you and Daddy just give me the money and you can keep the tooth!”
Uh oh, the jig is up before it even began. I back peddled and told her something about angering the tooth Gods and throwing off the natural balance of the universe or something to that effect(who can remember, I was floundering to save her childhood) and then I quickly exited the room with her innocence intact.
Now that I think of it, I should have just agreed to her request to pay her for her teeth and saved myself some headaches.
Whew! What’s next? The Easter Bunny? Fairy Godmothers? Santa Claus? Unicorns? Somebody slow down this ride, I want to get off. Where are the brakes?
What do you do when your child starts questioning the fictitious people in their lives like the tooth fairy?
15 comments
Cool kid and great story. I often wonder why we need to perpetuate these fictitious characters in the first place. Is the magic of childhood really over when the lies about these creepy (and they all are creepy when taken at face value) adult creations are exposed? Isn't there real magic in childhood, too? Are these things benefiting our kids in any real way? It seems to me that they can be fun stories without being passed off as 'truth'. Maybe that's just me. I would (and do) love to hear other perspectives.
This was so sweet. Loved it. I actually have a really good story about teeth and well, I think I shall blog about it because it is a little different in my home. Well, your daughter does have a point. Creepy tooth fairy. LOL
we haven't had loose teeth yet..however…when i taught 2nd grade, my students were always losing teeth.
there was nothing more stomach churning for me when my students woudl come up to me wiggling their loose tooth. or when the tooth would fall out and they were drooling or spitting blood…or trying to get to get it to stop bleeding with a tissue. uuuuuuggggghhhhhhhhh……
and then i was always surprised at how MUCH money the tooth fairy brought them. Some of those kids got $20 per tooth! what were they made of? Gold?!
My kids are still too little to lose teeth yet, but my niece had the EXACT same problem! I think my sister and bro-in-law came up with a good solution… they left it in the mailbox! BRILLIANT!
https://futuredukes.blogspot.com/
LMAO. She's brilliant. I guess she never saw the Handy Manny with the Tooth Mouse. Ava was talking about it and I was like wtf?! Apparently you leave your tooth in a cup of water in the bathroom and the Tooth Mouse comes to pick it up. Seriously?! Anyway that's who she wants hauling off her teeth. So that's who will do it! LOL
Yes, she is BRILLIANT! Wow. And your commentary, hilarious.
I too am struggling with the fictional characters we create for our children. Part of me is VERY resistant to even starting the whole game…my first is just about ready for the whole Santa phenomenom. I don't remember ever believing in him.
My husband and your post remind me that Santa, the Easter bunny…they aren't about me. It's about the innocence of childhood and allowing our children their childhood.
Sigh. Sorry, for the heavy comment. Just had to say it, ya know!
That's great. I've been saying the same thing for years. Why do all the childhood fancies come in the middle of the night or "see you when your sleeping"? You have to admit, it is pretty creepy lol.
@Mitchell,
YOu know, we really never had the chance to think about it. She knew about the tooth fairy coming from her little friends.I've always thought the Tooth Fairy was creepy ( even as a child) and especially after seeing the horror movie:) My kid is one smart cookie!LOL You are right these stories are complicated, to make things worse, I am a horrible liar so for me to tell these stories believably is almost impossible.
@4timesblessed,
I know, I concur, CREEPY lil bastard:) I will have to go check out your post and see what its like at your house!Thanks for stopping by!
@Jill,
Yes, the whole tooth falling out scenario is nasty.Luckily for us, I go the organic route…I just let it go until it is ready to fall out.Bella's was loose, never that really gross hanging on by a thread falling out of her mouth wobbly, but it got loose, then 3 days later..in the middle of the night…there is was laying peacefully on her tongue:)Thank God, because I haven;t the stomach for the whole yanking them out with string!EWWW< I can taste the iron blood taste just at the thought:( $20? I got a quarter when I was little.We've decided $5 for the first 2 and then $1 each one after.Mama's not made of money…or gold:)LOL
Hey there sweets!!! It's been a while….glad to be back! I'm not one for pulling out teeth…it freaks me out. Mia is going to have to let that shit fall out on it's own. Not really sure how we'll handle the tough questions. You let me know when you get it all down!!
Well, she's definitely cutting to the chase on this one! Cut out the middle man- just give her the money!
Brilliant.
And kinda analytical, and grown up,… and OH I can't handle it either!
I was the parent who always told them the truth when they asked. If they asked if the Tooth Fairy was real, I'd tell them, but I also made sure to let them know it was not ok to tell others.
She's a bright kid though!
loved this, how cute and smart she is! thought you might enjoy reading how I told my kids.
https://thethirstymagnolia.blogspot.com/200/04/ok-back-to-easter-bunny.html
That little Bella. She is quite the clever one!! My son Nino had a lot of questions about the tooth fairy too. He also lost his first tooth recently. But he did write the tooth fairy a letter, to which he recieved a written response re: the fact that the tooth fairy really needs kid teeth to replenish the teeth of dinosaurs in another world. I don't know how this worked, but he bought the whole story. And now he really believes, even though he knows that Santa is not real. Funny kid!