What to do when you lose a tooth

Tertia recently blogged about the tooth fairy. At cell group last night it came up again and we shared stories about how to deal with the inevitable issues that crop up.

There was so much wisdom shared in the group that I thought I would put it all togethere here, as a quick guide, for all parents:

1) When a tooth is lost in the ocean or the river: write to the Tooth Mouse's cousin - The Water Rat. He will help out in an emergency.

2) When a tooth is lost down the drain: write to the Sewer Rat, another of Tooth Mouse's cousins.

3) When someone else's child gets more money from the Tooth Mouse than your child: teach them the lesson of 'Supply and Demand'. The Tooth Mouse is building his castle with teeth. All teeth are different sizes, which means that gaps develop in the wall. The Tooth Mouse therefore has to find a tooth of the perfect size to fit the hole. When he finds it, he will pay more for it because he's so thrilled to finally get one that fits the hole perfectly. If that's too complex a concept, then simply remind them that the Tooth Mouse pays more for teeth that are presented beautifully - cleaned and in a pretty box.

4) When your child starts to doubt the existence of the Tooth Mouse, and suspects that Dad or Mom switches the tooth for cash, you can teach them the lesson of 'Logistics'. The Tooth Mouse may have a VERY busy schedule, and be unable to get to every house in time for that day. In those circumstances, he approaches parents to ask them to help him out, by putting the money out and hanging onto the tooth for him, till he has time to get around to that part of town.

And, from the comments on Tertia's post, another instruction to add to the help manual...

5) When the Tooth Mouse forgets to exchange the tooth for cash, you can always remind them that maybe there is a cut-off time each day for the tooth to fall out. If it happens after that time, then you have to wait till the following day. On the other hand, maybe he was simply too busy to get around to you, and maybe he was so busy he didn't have time to call the parents to ask them to help him out logistically.

This little guide could easily be adapted for dealing with Father Christmas, or the Easter Bunny, if needed.

Happy tooth hunting!