How much do you give your kids for a lost tooth?
By ladym33
@ladym33 (10979)
United States
August 26, 2009 8:43am CST
I just read something today where a parent (playing the tooth fairy) gave their child $10.00 for a tooth. I think that is very high. First of all what does a 5 or 6 year old need that much money for? Besides the tooth fairy was suppossed to leave coins not folding money. I have heard a lot of parents give their kids $5.00 which makes my children's toothfairy look stingy, because I only give .75, which my children were all thrilled with until some other kids at school bragged about the $5.00.
So what do you give as the toothfairy at your house? If you don't have kids yet, what do you think is a good amount to give?
2 people like this
16 responses
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
26 Aug 09
When my daughter lost her very first tooth, the tooth fairy brought her five dollars. Being that the very first lost tooth is a huge milestone. Then, for the subsequent teeth, the tooth fairy has only brought her a dollar. She doesn't seem to care weather she got the five dollars of the first tooth or the one dollar of all of the other teeth, she is just happy to have a little bit of extra money in her pocket.
I will probably do it the same way when my little one, who is almost three, starts to lose his teeth as well.
2 people like this
@hmkoct5 (2065)
• United States
26 Aug 09
We used to give the boys a dollar, but in coins. It seemed to be a reasonable amount. I actually think we started giving just a quarter, but they had heard the same thing from someone at school. So, we raised it to a dollar. It's just supposed to be a cute tradition, I didn't think it was supposed to be a real money-maker for the child.
2 people like this
@thedaddym (1731)
• United States
26 Aug 09
I leave that up to my wife, but I think she just grabs a hand ful of change and puts it under the pillow, if she has more change at that time they get more if she has less they get less. I think $5 is too much, and $10 is just rediculas. Like you said what does a kid that young need that much money for? I think .75 or a dollar is fine.
2 people like this
@gitfiddleplayer (10362)
• United States
26 Aug 09
I usually give a quarter for the back teeth and $1.00 for the front ones, helps to pay for the embarrasement they will have later when they look at their pictures. $5.00 bucks is too much and $10.00 is way too much, I guess they feel they have to pay for their kids teeth twice since its a surety they will need braces. Maybe the kids parent knocked their tooth out and they are paying them off so the case worker won't get suspicious. :)
2 people like this
@phoenix1344 (698)
• United States
26 Aug 09
When I was little my Mom used to leave me about .75 too! If I got lucky she would leave about two dollars :). This one time she left .50 and she gave me this really pretty butterfly pin that I guess used to be hers. Of course for the longest time I thought the tooth fairy was just getting creative :) But don't worry, I think .75 is a perfect amount for tooth fairy gifts! Thats about the same that I plan to give my child when I have one. I think the most I'll go up is 1.50 but that will probably be for special occasions.
2 people like this
@Eenhoorn (1)
•
26 Aug 09
Hi there!
I'm new on myLot, so do excuse my late answer......
I have never given money. The toothfairy gave a book and a little container to collect the teeth. Our children are very proud of their lost teeth and they are kept in a very special place!
They sometimes hear about other people getting money as well, but they just know that we have different 'rites'.
Good luck with your children!
2 people like this
@whyiswyh (170)
• Malaysia
27 Aug 09
I don't have kids yet but I think 0.75 is a bit stingy...Why not increase it more so that it can be used to buy something cheap like a notepad or something. Maybe $2-5 is more appropriate. Well it is also dependable on your currency. Try encouraging your kids to buy something that is worthy like a story book. Encouraging them to save is also a good idea. Try to think on the positive side of handling money. Teach them that money is only useful when it is put into the right investment/stuff. I think I would rather not receive coins...Better give them a dollar or two....
1 person likes this
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
27 Aug 09
Think about the age though. Most kids lose their first tooth at 5 and 6 years old. Most 5 and 6 year olds do not buy things for themselves. The money is more of a symbol at that age. My kids really were not interested in money or buying things until they were at least 8. I think raising it as they get older might be the key.
@busibee (187)
• United States
27 Aug 09
HOLY CRAP! $10 bucks?? Boy, times have changed. I used to get like 25 or 50 cents per tooth, and towards the end of my losing-tooth streak, when I was about seven, I received like $1.00 (one whole dollar). What seven-year-old needs $10 dollars? Especially from a tooth? I want to meet THAT tooth fairy, because she wasn't coming to my house!! LOL!
XOXO
Busie
@prinzcy (32305)
• Malaysia
26 Aug 09
The culture and belief is different here. I don't think my younger siblings know anything about tooth fairy so we never leave them any money under the pillow. But my mom did taught us of something different. She said, the upper teeth should be place on the roof and the lower teeth should be buried. She said something about the teeth health but I don't really understand. Still, we did as she told.
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
26 Aug 09
True different countries have different customs. Here we have the tooth fairy which is an imaginary fairy that takes a lost tooth and leaves some money behind for the tooth. The child leaves the tooth uner his or her pillow and the parents put money under the pillow and take the tooth after the child falls asleep.
@rosepedal64 (4188)
• United States
27 Aug 09
My grandson(my avatar) was about 4yrs old and he had an accident at pre-school. He ended up going to the dentist and having his front tooth cut out. We did let the tooth fairy come that night. She left him 1.00. He was so excited that he was ready to get more out so that he could get more money. At his age the dollar was like major money. I think you need to look at the age of a child and how much they know about money and then decide how much that should get. I think 10.00 is a little tooooo much for a child. @weebit_43229 (25)
• United States
26 Aug 09
I have 2 children of my own, and for the first tooth, they got $2 because that is a special one. All the others they have gotten a dollar... I think the last tooth will be $5 because it is a sign that they are growing up (and will be a lot older when that happens) so they should receive a little extra for leaving that small part of their childhoods behind :)
1 person likes this
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
27 Aug 09
True and being older they need the money more. I think my 12 year old just lost his last one. At least I hope it was the last one. Maybe I should have given him more for that one. But I didn't give his sister more so it wouldn't be fair unless I gave her $5.00 too. Maybe I will do that.
@N7PHOENIX (74)
• Ireland
27 Aug 09
ah one thing i think everyone should remember is that if a kid get lots for loosing a tooth it almost seemsa as a insentive to loose more which we all know is bad im here in ireland when i was a kid i got like 1 irish pound which is arout$1.50 or so i thought that was fair but thats just my opinion
@roseyroser (1059)
• United States
27 Aug 09
When I was a kid (i'm 23 now) I believe I only got around 50 cents. 10 dollars a tooth is very extreme. I don't have any kids yet, but when I do I definitely won't shell out 10 bucks a tooth!
@realan (518)
• United States
27 Aug 09
My daughter usually gets $1 or $2. I think her first tooth she got $2. She quickly put it in her piggy bank. For her first tooth she left a note for the tooth fairy not to take her tooth, because grandpa wanted it. She gave granpa the tooth and he gave her $50. I thought, you gotta be kidding me! How do you top that? I told her not to expect that again, and that was for her first tooth, and grandpa probably wouldn't be buying the rest. LOL! Money went right to her savings account, and she only gets abot $1 each for the rest of her teeth. Our tooth fairy is not rich! 
