By Jan de Lange
After all the red cheeks, late nights, crying and occasional thermometer checks of teething, those precious little baby teeth eventually start falling out. While adults know the drill, this will be entirely new to your little one.
Around the ages of 6 and 7, your child’s first baby teeth will start to fall out, making way for their permanent teeth. This age presents a time of memorable firsts for your child: starting school, learning to read, making friends, taking part in sports, losing teeth and more. So how can you make the most of it? There are all kinds of ways to celebrate the tooth fairy’s arrival that will fill the occasion with magic for your little one.
Light the way for the tooth fairy
Some non-toxic glitter on the window sill and a lantern that’s not too bright in your child’s bedroom will let the tooth fairy know to visit your house and ensure that when they come, they don’t trip over or step on that one, elusive toy that somehow always escapes the end of day room clean up. It’s of course also enormously fun to turn this exercise into a full-blown art project.
PO Box for teeth
Your kids will love crafting a special box they can put under their pillow with their latest offering to the tooth fairy inside. Bonus points if it’s sized exactly right for the tooth fairy to leave some bounty in as well. Another benefit of this of course is that it ensures that no teeth go missing under a wriggly sleeper’s pillow.
Origami tooth fairy
You guessed it! Some tooth fairies have an epic origami side hustle. This is an excellent chance to show off those mad folding skills by showing your children just how many shapes small bills can be folded into. You can be sure that by the time you meet the tuck shop lady at school, they will also have heard of your child’s origami tooth fairy.
Letters from the tooth fairy
We never see the tooth fairy. All of us have wondered: what’s their favourite food? Is there a Mister or Misses Tooth Fairy? Has the tooth fairy ever been to Gold Reef City? Does the tooth fairy think I should do my homework? Clean my room? Eat my veggies? Brush my teeth twice a day and remember to floss? The answers to all these questions may be revealed in your anthology of tooth fairy letters.
Losing the baby teeth is a really awesome opportunity to get creative and build a beautiful mythology around the tooth fairy, while also having a brilliantly fun time with your young one.