I read a quick article last week that the Tooth Fairy’s average rate is on the rise–up nearly 15% from last year. Kids are averaging $2.42 for their lost teeth. HOLE.LEE.CAVITIES. BATMAN.
The first lost tooth seems to have a higher value than the subsequent teeth.
The article made made me wonder, what do you think is a fair exchange-rate for those little chompers? Monkey Boy & The Girl’s tooth fairy never left the same thing twice {clever!}. Sometimes it was a pack of M&M’s, a silly straw or a dollar. Personally, I think she just left what ever she had laying around the castle {or at least, I assume it’s a castle}. How is it we know all of the in-and-outs of Santa, but the Tooth Fairy’s origins and real estate situation is really a mystery?
I totally tried to find more information about the Tooth Fairy’s history, but came up short. I guess the Tooth Fairy has done a pretty decent job of shading her {or his?} identity–probably makes it easier to run daytime errands.
So, what do YOU think? What’s the going rate at YOUR house?
Curious minds want to know,
Mavis
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Lynn says
My siblings and I received nothing from the toothfairy growing up. So I figured 25 cents per tooth dropped off for my own 6 kids was pretty good. ; )
Susan Reid says
For my sons first tooth she left a stormtrooper lego minifigure!
Sheila M. says
We don’t ‘do’ the tooth fairy thing at our house, but we did acknowledge the losing-of-a-tooth event with accolades for bravery. However, we were on a camping trip with several other young families once when one child in the group lost her tooth. I happened to have a golden dollar in the car and the dad was ‘grateful that the tooth fairy was able to find his daughter while she was camping.’
alice says
The tooth fairy here leaves $1 per tooth. Except for the tooth that got knocked out and still had the root attached. That was was $2.
Usually the tooth fairy is kind of spacey though. Sometimes it takes a few nights before the tooth/cash exchange happens.
Tera says
The tooth fairy started off leaving two quarters per tooth. The 2nd tooth loss was especially devestating so the tooth fairy left $1.00 and a tooth shaped note. By the 3rd tooth she was in school and knew what fellow classmates were getting and our normally very grateful daughter was super sad the tooth fairy left her WAY less than other kids!!! Tooth number 4 got a dollar. Stinking inflation…
Nicole says
I used to get $5, but no pomp and circumstance or hiding it under the pillow. It went more like this: “Oh, you lost a tooth?” Grab wallet, hand over $5. It was the early eighties.
Ashley says
I used to get $1 (I’m 27), but the tooth fairy ripped me off with my last few teeth. My kids haven’t lost any yet, but I’d probably leave them a little gift for their first and $1 after that. Although they’d probably expect a gift each time, so I might have to rethink that strategy.
Nancy says
I remember a hundred years ago when I was little, I got a quarter. However, we know lots of kids who get $5 per tooth. Our tooth fairy usually leaves $2-$3 per tooth. My daughter went through a period where she racked up though.
Jenn says
Ours left rupees, pesos, Canadian coins, and just once an Australian silver coin. Very worldly girl, which I could travel with her.
Penelope says
Our tooth fairy is super busy and rarely gets to my kids the night they lose a tooth. And then they only get 50 cents.
Angie says
Hmm smart tooth fairy to think about little presents!
Some thoughts:
How come when I lost a tooth at the hands of the dentist recently I had to pay HIM.?
Although my children are all grown now, I still find their baby teeth in jewellery and other boxes around the house (private arrangement with the TF). Is that weird? Do other mothers do that? Or is it just me? (My kids think it IS just me and that it is gross to boot!)
Hugs
Angie
Isle of Man
Patty says
I kept the teeth too….I found them not too long ago. Cute little pearly whites, I would
feel bad throwing them out now!
Sherri says
I keep my kids teeth too. I don’t think it is weird. What is weird is keeping the twitches from your kids circumcision. Yep it has happened. 😮 Going rate is $1 at our house and $5 for the first tooth. Any our tooth fairy is flakey. She forgets a lot. But Santa rocks in our house as does the Easter bunny. So it makes up for it.
Sherri says
Haha that should say STITCHES not twitches. Oy.
Leanna says
I would get a fifty cent piece or a silver dollar. My kids get a 1 dollar bill.
Sakura says
Well our tooth fairy isn’t really good at remembering teeth, but when she or he does it’s usually whatever smallest bill is in their little tooth fairy wallet. I think the smallest has been $1, but I know one of my kids scored a $20 once.
Maybe the toothfairy should just pony up all at once and get it over with. I remember when I was a kid it was always a quarter, never more or less.
Angie, I used to keep my kids teeth also thru a special arrangement until one of them found the stash and said it was gross. They promptly get taken away now.
kate says
I’m cheap. $.25 per tooth. I don’t think my parents gave me anything.
Quyen says
My hubby aka the tooth fairy has been so generous! My daughters first 2 were pulled because of how the were growing, he felt sorry for her a left her a whopping $25. After that I told him to settle down and leave $1 tops…but does he listen? NO!! He leaves her money according to her age, at 6 she got $6 per tooth….I wish my mom and dad were that generous!
Wynne says
Which raises the question, what do you think the tooth fairy Does with the teeth? I found a box of teeth (my brother’s) among my mementos and wonder why the fairy saved them for us. What would we ever need them for, voodoo?
Jenni says
I tell my kids she uses the teeth to build her castle. We leave between $1-3 depending on the circumstance of the loss and how traumatic it was. Our tooth fairy has also “forgotten” at times. Glad to hear I’m not the only one!
Andrea D says
wow! the tooth fairy is awfully generous! this tooth fairy would go broke with five kids expecting money & gifts. but alas, she seems to forget consistently. thank goodness for grandparents (and the fact that my kids don’t really care).
Stephanie says
Our toothfairy leaves 1 gold dollar coin.
And sometimes she gets behind. (Lots of teeth in the world and no elves like the Old Red Guy!) Every now and then we have to call her boss!
She did leave a little extra for the first two for our first child. Her permanent teeth grew in behind her babies and didn’t take care of the roots so those jokers were pulled!
Somehow I paid the bill for that one and she got extra. What’s up with that?
Tina says
Our tooth fairy needs to be fired, she was always late. In the end she is forgiven because golden dollars are left.
Kathy in Chicago says
King size snicker’s bars. That’s what the teeth are made into. OK, the label says peanuts, but we all know it’s really baby teeth dipped in caramel, covering nougat & coated in chocolate….
Maybe one day my kids will need therapy from the whoppers I’ve told them. Or maybe they’ll become really creative authors… only time will tell….
Angie says
So THAT’S why they are so good! Full of calcium too! *shudder* 🙂
Heather says
At our house the tooth fairy left a rare $2 bill for the first tooth. After that it was $1 per tooth. The best was when my son learned Santa “was not real” (a concept I still struggle with) the fiest words out of his mouth were “I suppose the tooth fairy” is not real either.
Heather says
We also kept the teeth and gave them to each kid, which they thought was gross and tossed them.
Jennifer says
That’s the exact same thing I said to my mom when I found out Santa wasn’t real! Too funny!! 🙂
Carla says
With six kids, our tooth fairy had to get creative. Sometimes it was a foreign left from her travels, or perhaps a golden dollar coin, or a small toy (lego minifigs were always a big hit). Whatever was left, it was always accompanied by a trail of glittery fairy dust that the kiddo would be picking out of their sheets for days!
Kathy says
The tooth fairy leaves change from whatever country she visited last (she has no time to exchange). Then we look up the country and learn a little bit about it. Avoids the arms race with the neighbors 🙂
Jennifer Jo says
What a cute little boy! His mama must love him to pieces.
Ann T. says
Yes you do, and a cute tooth story too!
Lisa says
Most of the time the toothfairy would leave $1, but sometimes it was whatever was in the wallet…which could be a bunch of change. However, my youngest daughter wanted to keep her teeth, even if that meant not getting any money, so she never left them for the toothfairy!
Mama Meesh says
The Tooth Fairy is very generous at our house $20 for the first tooth and then $5 for the rest. We have a Tooth Fairy pillow that the kids hang on their door when they lose a tooth. The tooth fairy then deposits cash in the pillow and the tooth into the Precious Moments “Tooth Fairy container”. I have to admit the Tooth Fairy sometimes doesn’t have change and has given a few extra $20’s in her time.
Mindy says
Ha! Our kids get whatever change we can pull out of the stash in the dark. ‘Cause it’s usually bedtime when we remember we need to replace the tooth. :0) It’s normally under a dollar, though.
Maggie says
When I was a kid, we got a quarter and a pack of Trident gum. My 5th child just lost his first tooth today. He told me he hoped that the tooth fairy would bring him a toy, coins, or a new toothbrush. I love how happy he gets over the simple things! For the record, he is getting a new toothbrush and four shiny quarters.
Heidi says
With my first three children the tooth fairy left a buck and then a friend mentioned that she gives a dollar for the first tooth and then 2 dollars for the second tooth, 3 dollars for the third and on it goes. Yes stupid me started that with our fourth child and now I can’t go back. I didn’t take into account how many teeth are in the human mouth! Argh! I could kick myself.
Jules says
wow! good thing my kids don’t read this. They get a quarter for a tooth, unless it was a traumatic event, then they might get 50c.
Helen in Meridian says
I remember getting a quarter. When Dietrich was little we all belonged to Good Bears of the World, a teddy bear club. I got him a bear made out of 10 denim jeans pockets all over him. He would put his tooth in the tooth fairy teddy, and the fairy would leave him little toys for his teddy. The only problem was…finding the tiny tooth in the dark with all those little pockets without waking him. The first tooth dangled for 2 days. I was afraid if I just twisted it out, he might bleed to death or something…..first child angst.
Marla says
Oooh, we might be guilty of bring the average up; probably around $1.50 or $1.75 here :p
Celia says
Our tooth fairy leaves “Golden Dollars”. My girls love these dollar coins, and save them.
Sara says
My parents were so cheap when I was little- I think I got $0.10 per tooth. I eventually fired the tooth fairy and kept them myself. 😀 Still have them, although I honestly cannot tell you why.