to not believe how bloody lucky I have been tonight

[GreatBallsOfFluff]

and also to have learnt some valuable lessons.

DD's first tooth fell out today.

Mistake number 1: Childminder had wrapped said tooth very nicely in a tissue. DD asks to look at it again before going to bed. I say ok. She unwraps the lovely folded tissue, looks at it, then takes it upstairs to put under her pillow for the tooth fairy.

Mistake number 2: Not tucking DD in in bed as was doing the ironing - therefore not checking that DD had put tooth under pillow.

Mistake number 3: Allowing DD to have three pillows in her room. She has a double bed, has two pillows side by side at the head of the bed, but tonight has decided to sleep sideways with her stupid square HSM pillow.

I walk in tonight with said coin, look at the three pillows and "which one!". Feel under the two that she is not sleeping on - not there. Have a feel under said HSM pillow and feel the tissue "YAY". Pull tissue out and no longer is it nicely folded up, but more scrunched up. Whilst I am fumbling in the dark and making sure the tooth is in there, I feel it drop. Yes it dropped onto her scrunched up very messy duvet.

After lots of whispered swearing, help from my flashlight app on my phone and a lot of luck, I managed to find the tiny tiny tooth in her bed (and sods law put her white sheet rather than pink sheet on at the weekend 'for a change!').

Moral of the story, when a tooth falls out, tuck DD in at night and find out which pillow it's under and make sure it's wrapped up well.

What about a special tooth fairy collection pouch, attaced to the bed knob? or somefink

When my DS1 was little, we went on holiday with my parents.

When he saw my Dad slept with his dentures in a glass of water, he advised him to put them under his pillow because "The tooth fairy probably won't take them, but she'll leave you lots of money"

NowWeKnow - fumbling with a tooth in a tent sounds like a skill which I hope I never have to learn

I think special pot/shelf (somewhere NOT under pillow) sounds like a winner

Or just put the tooth in a glass of water in the kitchen window, so that the tooth-fairy can buy it easily.

Thats what we do.

However, dont let your demented mum play the role of the toothfairy. Not if she does not know the going rate for teeth, nor the value of money!

You will be broke before you know it, and count your lucky stars that there is a finite number of teeth to come out! (Unless your children are especially industrious and bring your demented mum little white stones on a regular basis)

We put the tooth in an envelope with "tooth fairy" written on it.

Easy to slide out from under the pillow, and no lost teeth - but unfortunately makes me sound anal beyond belief

Our first tooth fairy duty happened while camping. The tooth was either swallowed with apple or lost in campsite play area wood chip. Anyway ds went to sleep smiling so she would see he'd lost one!

Quint - sounds great in theory but round here I can guarantee dh would forget that it's a special glass and would accidentally drink out of it. OR the cat would knock it over. Your household is probably rather better run than mine... (thankfully ds rumbled the tooth fairy a while back - tooth still has to be removed and paid for, however, but at least we aren't at risk of life-long psychological damage if we are a little tardy).

Say it with me now... envelope. Sealed ready to be delivered by the tooth fairy. With or without cutesy letter from child to said tooth fairy in it.

We have a large organza bag (about 6" square) for the tooth fairy after loosing many a tooth (DD1 has lost 7 now and is only just 6y). It frequently involves rushing round the house to find 50p to pay for the tooth as I never keep a stash for surprise teeth...

In our house child has to write tooth fairy a polite letter requesting a visit - and leave it on the stairs, lest I go up to bed without remembering the tooth fairy not notice the tooth under the pillow.

Our tooth fairy once had to write a letter (have you any idea how small a Tooth Fairy's handwriting is??) to apologise for being broke because of all the teeth that had fallen out that day and promising to come the next night.
Luckily there were no tears that time!

Once DS1's bottom teeth started getting wobbly, I went to the bank and got 20 £1 coins out and they're now hidden in my bedside table so that I won't run out! I live in fear of not having the right money as I never seem to have any change in my purse.

My dad used to write me letters from Rosa the Toothfairy in teeny tiny hand writing. Only problem was he used to write them on paper from his work (specialist yellow paper for rates so obvious it was him!). Still I got up to £5 a tooth in 1990 so I was laughing (was under general anaesthetic as I had overcrowding). I haven't told DD1 that yet though

By dc4 tooth fairy had died, Santa only brought 1 present by elf law and Easter bunny had mixemotisis., and so only produced 1 egg.

Makes them not expect too much out of life

Cats and dogs are very useful for neglectful tooth fairies. Tooth fairies are terrified of them, and prefer to come back the next night when mummy can get her bloody act together

Wine does not always mix with Tooth Fairy duties.

I am in awe of Pigeon's organisation and self control at not using the money in emergencies for wine.