AIBU to refuse my mother-in-law keeping my daughter's first tooth?

GalileoFigaro · 2026-09-01T17:46:57+00:00

DD just turned 7 has a wobbly tooth. Her first one. My smother in law said that she was going to pull it out for her when she next saw her AND she was going to keep it in her little box where she has all her 3 children's milk teeth. AIBU to say no she isn't? I feel that the tooth shouldn't be pulled and will fall out when it's good and ready. Also I'd quite like to keep my own child's tooth as a keepsake (a lot of mums do that, right? AIBU and being precious or is MiL overstepping?

Thepossibility · 08/09/2026 21:53

Returning to the thread to share that I just found a little container with two little teeth in it when searching for some paperclips in DH stationary drawer. I just stared at them in morbid curiosity wondering which child they belonged to. I guess DH is more sentimental than me, it seems.

Lmnop22 · 08/09/2026 20:22

GalileoFigaro · 08/09/2026 17:57

Update:
The tooth is out! Yay!
However... it fell out and my daughter didn't even realise.
It was still in her mouth (albeit VERY loose) at my in law's house, then when we went to the shop, she realised it wasn't there anymore!

We searched in the shop, rang my mother in law to see if it has fallen out in her house. She said she hadnt seen it. (I believe her)

We're going to look in dad's work truck. If it isn't there it's lost and gone forever.

On the plus side, at least the Mother in law doesn't get to keep it hahaha!

Will the tooth fairy acceot a note and a little story explaining what happened? I think she should, right ;)

Edited

Your MIL stole the tooth clearly so I hope she’s paying the tooth fairy 😂

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 08/09/2026 20:01

Yep, notes are accepted!

I remember one of mine came out and went down the plug hole when I was cleaning my teeth, the next morning the money was in the sink - maybe there's a way you can have some fun with it?

MimiSunshine · 08/09/2026 19:45

She’ll absolutely accept a note. My child has swallowed two teeth, the tooth fairy still visited because they actually have little bells that go off when a tooth comes out so they know to start looking for it. The note will be fine, she understands 😉

Original poster

GalileoFigaro · 08/09/2026 17:57

Update:
The tooth is out! Yay!
However... it fell out and my daughter didn't even realise.
It was still in her mouth (albeit VERY loose) at my in law's house, then when we went to the shop, she realised it wasn't there anymore!

We searched in the shop, rang my mother in law to see if it has fallen out in her house. She said she hadnt seen it. (I believe her)

We're going to look in dad's work truck. If it isn't there it's lost and gone forever.

On the plus side, at least the Mother in law doesn't get to keep it hahaha!

Will the tooth fairy acceot a note and a little story explaining what happened? I think she should, right ;)

OP posts:

notacooldad · 06/09/2026 19:12

CaptainMyCaptain · 01/09/2026 21:03

I still have my daughter's and she's in her 40s. I don't really know what to do with them now tbh.

Show quote history

Chuck them in the bin is probably your best bet.

CircleofWillis · 06/09/2026 19:05

CircleofWillis · 03/09/2026 07:42

Many years ago, I bought an old singer sewing machine for my mother. The little hidden cubby was full of treasures, several rings, a pendant with a semiprecious stone, a lock of hair and a large handful of teeth. Looking back, perhaps we should have contacted the police, just in case. We didn’t really think about them and just assumed that they were a parent’s inexpensive mementos.

Ok contacting the police would have been an overreaction. I’m rereading all the Cormoran Strike books and my comment might have been a bit influenced by the current storyline…

fishonabicycle · 05/09/2026 08:19

Update - son said he would be appalled if I presented him with a bag of teeth - ew!

CircleofWillis · 03/09/2026 07:42

Many years ago, I bought an old singer sewing machine for my mother. The little hidden cubby was full of treasures, several rings, a pendant with a semiprecious stone, a lock of hair and a large handful of teeth. Looking back, perhaps we should have contacted the police, just in case. We didn’t really think about them and just assumed that they were a parent’s inexpensive mementos.

Mumtotornadoes · 03/09/2026 06:42

I agree with pp ask why she has her kids teeth and not their grandmother?

Also, I'm so glad so many people DONT keep teeth. I thought it was expected and felt like a shit mum that I don't want to keep all that crap. My mum had boxes and boxes of our stuff, teeth, cord, hair, art, school reports. I don't want a loft full of their childhood or manky body parts.

Newstartplease24 · 03/09/2026 06:17

With grandmothers like this I think you should ask “why didn’t [name of her MIL] do that with your children?”

TurquoiseBananas · 03/09/2026 06:05

I wouldn't want to keep it so wouldn't have a problem with mil keeping it.

Would ask her not to pull it.

Absolutelynot2 · 02/09/2026 22:47

AdeleRochester · 01/09/2026 18:48

That’s quite far over the line.

TBH I wouldnt be seeing MIL until the tooth had come out - it won’t be long.

Agree. I believe she will definitely pull it and then it will "accidentally" go missing. Don't see her till the tooth falls out, and put it away somewhere.

NoMoreFluffsToGive · 02/09/2026 22:46

Your smother in law is deranged! I would really struggle not to tell her that if she assaults my child pulls a tooth out of my child’s mouth, I will reciprocate and remove some of her teeth in return! 😡 Eugh! Bad enough that she’s stomping all over what should be nuclear family tradition territory but threatening to pull a tooth from a child just so she can add to her creepy collection…<shudders>. …overstepping and frankly I wouldn’t be leaving my kid alone with her again in case she gets any other ideas…

TheEdgyMoose · 02/09/2026 21:35

Sweetdreamsbeautifulnightmare · 02/09/2026 21:16

If she pulls it out she may have a gap for ages and not get a new one! Plus it isn’t hers to pull ffs! Also they get put under the pillow for the tooth fairy right? The tooth fairy is you obviously

When my daughter lost her first tooth we did the tooth fairy thing at home as you'd expect. Then, the next time we went to see my in-laws, my MIL handed her a £2 coin and said that it was from her tooth fairy. My daughter was so confused and didn't understand why her gran had a tooth fairy. She asked me later if her gran's teeth were falling out and she really sounded quite worried about it!

Little rituals like this should just be left to the parents (or whoever the child lives with).

Sweetdreamsbeautifulnightmare · 02/09/2026 21:16

If she pulls it out she may have a gap for ages and not get a new one! Plus it isn’t hers to pull ffs! Also they get put under the pillow for the tooth fairy right? The tooth fairy is you obviously

Original poster

GalileoFigaro · 02/09/2026 21:13

SpaceShark · 02/09/2026 20:21

Smother in law 😂

Not sure if that was intentional, but I like it.

It was intentional. I've referred to her as that for a while now hehe

OP posts:

Genevieva · 02/09/2026 21:10

How will her tooth fairy leave coin under her pillow if it isn’t there?

Lmnop22 · 02/09/2026 21:01

fishonabicycle · 01/09/2026 18:50

Keeping teeth is creepy whoever does it - serial killer vibes.

Edited

Uh oh. I crawled around on the floor of a soft play centre to retrieve two traumatically lost milk teeth so I could keep them 😬

Sillyme1 · 02/09/2026 20:58

She’s batshit! And it should certainly come out of its own accord. Interfering old ………..!

SpaceShark · 02/09/2026 20:21

Smother in law 😂

Not sure if that was intentional, but I like it.

TattyBluebell · 02/09/2026 13:21

I thought the Tooth Fairy took them. Have I been mistaken all these years? 🧚‍♀️

Thisposthasbeendeleted · 02/09/2026 11:54

fishonabicycle · 01/09/2026 18:50

Keeping teeth is creepy whoever does it - serial killer vibes.

Edited

I think it has Victorian death memento vibes. But the Victorians seemed a bit obsessed with death.

welshgirl2025 · 02/09/2026 10:56

MIL is way out of line. im a gran and would ever think of doing that. pulling her tooth before its ready is a no no and so is keeping it!!

Kalanthe · 02/09/2026 10:55

fishonabicycle · 01/09/2026 18:50

Keeping teeth is creepy whoever does it - serial killer vibes.

Edited

My mum kept my umbilical cord apparently 😂 then got really upset with my grandma (her MIL) when she was cleaning our house and threw it away 😂