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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Stingy Tooth Fairy

54 replies

lemonslemonslemons · 02/08/2018 12:47

My daughter has her first wobbly tooth.

When I was a kid we had the stingiest tooth fairy that ever was. We got 5p a tooth. But it was ok, because it's what we were used to! That and porridge made with water for breakfast - it was the magic of the 5p that was so special.

I can't believe the lengths some parents go to nowadays. I heard recently that one mum gives £10 per tooth and writes a mini book and does fairy feet in icing sugar.

I don't have time for that. AIBU? £1 should suffice...right?

OP posts:
YeTalkShiteHen · 02/08/2018 12:48

It’s £2 in our house, no idea why it just is.

SIL suggested £10 per tooth at which point I commented that they’d lost a tooth not a fucking finger!

thismeansnothing · 02/08/2018 12:51

I used to get 20p a tooth (50p for the big back ones) that was in the early 90s

DD got £2 for her first tooth (mainly cos it's all I had in my purse) and £1 for the next one

JennyBlueWren · 02/08/2018 12:52

£1 and £2 coins look more exciting than a note. When I was little we got £1, which was more than most but about a week's pocket money. not reached that stage yet.

Tonicwaterandgin · 02/08/2018 12:53

£5 for the first tooth and £1 after that. Sometimes a tiny note if the tooth fairy can be bothered.

PirateWeasel · 02/08/2018 12:54

@YeTalkShiteHen - lol!!

I always got 5p too, back in the early nineties. Adjusting for inflation, I make that about 11p per tooth nowadays. Tightwad. I think £1 is fine. Icing sugar fairy feet - what the frick?! Confused

GazeboLantern · 02/08/2018 12:54

I'm from the 5p era (though our porridge was made with milk) and my dc get £1. If they write to the Tooth Fairy, then the Tooth Fairy writes back, but not otherwise.

flyingsaucersherbet · 02/08/2018 12:54

£2 here. Mainly because that was all I had first time, and the second time when I only left £1, Ds cried as he didn’t think the tooth fairy liked his tooth as much so I had to pretend to find the second £1 on the floor. Stressful!

trancepants · 02/08/2018 12:55

I've always known the tradition that you get more for the first visit and then a lower amount thereafter. I got £1 for my first tooth and 50p each for the rest. Though my baby teeth were settled in for such a long haul that at 12 my dentist had to pull the final 4 as they were showing no sign of movement and in danger of disrupting the growth of my adult teeth that were waiting in my gums. I got nada for those. :(

I'm a little while off yet as DS's teeth aren't wobbly yet but I'm probably going to go with a fiver for the first and two each for the rest.

(Oh and porridge is actually creamier when made with water. The water works better for softening the oats. I used to always use milk until recently but it's nicer made with water.)

knittingdad · 02/08/2018 12:56

By the time my daughter was asleep I would often forget, so in the end she also received apology letters from the tardy tooth fairy.

You can give too much.
pbfcomics.com/comics/way_too_much/

MsAwesomeDragon · 02/08/2018 12:57

DD gets £1 or £2 depending who the tooth fairy is that night (DH gives £2, I give £1). DD thinks it's something to do with the condition of the tooth that changes the price. DH would happily give more, but I've told him to rein it in because most tooth fairies round here only give £1.

thecatsthecats · 02/08/2018 13:03

SIL suggested £10 per tooth at which point I commented that they’d lost a tooth not a fucking finger!

On the other hand, £10 for losing a finger sounds tight Grin

YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake · 02/08/2018 13:03

Our tooth fairy leaves 50p or £1, depending on the change I have

YeTalkShiteHen · 02/08/2018 13:05

On the other hand, £10 for losing a finger sounds tight

It doesn’t doesn’t it? Grin

I’m Shock at icing sugar fairy feet! Wtf?

UpstartCrow · 02/08/2018 13:05

YeTalkShiteHen pmsl Grin

YeTalkShiteHen · 02/08/2018 13:05

Does doesn’t it that should have said!

rainbowstardrops · 02/08/2018 13:09

Our tooth fairy only leaves £1 here, always has. Even though my children are in their teens now and not stupid.
I used to leave a glass of water out for the fairies then later put a drop of food colouring in it and in the morning, there was sheer delight at finding out what colour the fairy wings had been!
I think I got more out of that than my kids did tbh.
Several children in my infant school class have told me they were given £5 per tooth Confused

reluctantbrit · 02/08/2018 13:17

£2 for the first one and the one the dentist had to pull (new one was already out and baby one not budging), otherwise it is £1.

I thought I do £5 for the last but lost trek and need to ask the dentist of DD actually still has a baby molar or not.

GetTheGoodLookingGuy · 02/08/2018 13:56

I got £1 for the first, 50p for the second, and 20p thereafter (early noughties). I think I got £5 for the last one, because I was about thirteen and they wanted to start orthodontic treatment, and said the dentist would have to take it out if it hadn't fallen out by the next visit.

£1 sounds fine, OP.

donkeysandzebras · 02/08/2018 13:59

£2 for the first tooth here & £1 for each subsequent tooth.

daisyinatree · 02/08/2018 13:59

£10 is ludicrous. A quid is enough.

NonaGrey · 02/08/2018 14:02

£1 in our house.

They have twenty teeth. £10
a tooth is going to get fairly expensive. Occasionally several
Teeth fall out in a week too.

Re notes etc, just remember that once you start that kind of thing you have to keep it going. I know several people who went all out for the first tooth and were cursing the Tooth Fairy by the tenth note in tiny handwriting. Grin

We always felt that leaving just the coin was more mysterious and enigmatic.

NormaNameChange · 02/08/2018 14:03

Our tooth fairy leaves a little note in mirror writing (Has to be read using a mirror) but still only leaves £1 except for when I was very very poorly one day (just forgot) and my fabulous older child stepped in and left a fiver of her own money for her little brother... and a note saying sorry she had no change. I was so proud of her and refunded her double for her thoughtful kindness

ClarkWGriswold · 02/08/2018 14:04

It was 50p when I was little. DD gets £1. I figure that is fair enough inflation.

Passthecake30 · 02/08/2018 14:09

I used to get 5p (when friends received 50p or £1).
I leave £1 now, but might bump it up to £2 for the back ones. Kids are losing teeth very slowly so I'm sure they'll have realised the truth by then (ds is 10 and has only lost 8)

lulabaloo · 02/08/2018 14:10

I used to get whatever my mum had in her purse! Was always a different amount, from 10p - 50p. My oldest has lost a few teeth now and always gets a £1 coin.
One of my friends gives her kids a note each time.

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