Last night, the Tooth Fairy forgot her duties, and believe me, it’s not the first time. My daughter, Mia, had been eagerly anticipating the loss of her wiggly bottom tooth for weeks. For nearly 14 days, she had been wiggling, tugging, and hoping to speed up the inevitable. Finally, during school, the moment arrived!
Mia was over the moon. She proudly displayed her tiny tooth, which I had thoughtfully stored in a silk pouch for just such an occasion, to her classmates. With a toothless grin, she showed everyone how she could sip a drink with her lips tightly sealed.
But the real thrill was the anticipation of the Tooth Fairy’s visit. We spent the evening discussing the best spot for her tooth, and how much the fairy would typically leave for a little front tooth. As bedtime approached, she placed her precious tooth on a pink flower pattern on her sheets to make it easier for the fairy to find. With dreams of fairies dancing in her head, she drifted off to sleep.
I, however, went to bed utterly exhausted and didn’t wake until 7:30 the next morning. When I did, there stood Mia, arms crossed and a pout on her face.
“The Tooth Fairy didn’t come.”
My heart sank. “Wait, really?”
“Yes…(pause for dramatic effect)…she didn’t.”
“That’s so strange!” I fumbled for an explanation. “Maybe she got backed up since so many kids lost teeth yesterday. But don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll come tonight if we try again.”
Though unconvinced, Mia bought into my new plan.
The following night, we tried once more. The tooth was carefully positioned against the floral pattern, and Mia checked it several times before falling asleep. “Do you think she’ll come?” she asked.
“Absolutely! She was just swamped,” I assured her.
The next morning, I woke to Mia tugging at my toe, clearly upset.
“Mom! She didn’t come again!” she exclaimed, showing me the tooth in her tiny hand. Her eyes were watery.
I couldn’t believe it—I had forgotten two nights in a row! How could I mess up something so simple? Panic set in. What kind of parent forgets to play the Tooth Fairy more than once? I felt a wave of guilt wash over me.
I scrambled for an explanation. “Maybe the Tooth Fairy got confused by the bunk beds?” or “Perhaps she was overwhelmed with all the teeth she had to collect?” My best excuse? “I think our neighborhood got a new Tooth Fairy. She’s probably just getting used to her new job.” To my surprise, that actually seemed to comfort her.
That night, we made sure to place the tooth even closer to the edge of the pillow, accompanied by a bright note that read, “Dear Tooth Fairy – My tooth is right here!” with an arrow pointing to Mia’s head. I reassured her that tonight would be different.
All evening, I reminded myself not to forget the tooth. “Don’t forget the tooth… Don’t forget the tooth…” I repeated it like a mantra while cleaning up after dinner, folding laundry, and even while watching TV.
When I finally crawled into bed, I looked for a dollar bill but found none. Instead, I discovered a ten-dollar bill—far too generous for a single tooth! But given the circumstances, I figured the Tooth Fairy deserved to pay a late fee.
The next morning, Mia was bouncing at the foot of my bed, waving the ten-dollar bill.
“Mom! The Tooth Fairy came and left me $10!”
“Wow, Mia! That’s fantastic!” I let out a huge sigh of relief. I had finally pulled off the Tooth Fairy gig.
“And Mom! Feel this!” she said, pulling my hand to her mouth to show me another loose tooth. This girl is going to be rich!
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In summary, the Tooth Fairy may have flaked on her duties a couple of times, but with a little creativity and a touch of improvisation, we managed to turn the situation around. It’s all part of the parenting adventure!