The Tooth Fairy

The tooth fairy’s arrival is an important part of the magic of the school age years. Let your child know early on that the tooth fairy pays more for a perfect than for a decayed one. Have the tooth fairy leave a tiny note with tiny little writing praising good dental habits or suggesting better ones.

• Give your child a small plastic box or pill bottle in which to put the tooth; it’s easier for the tooth fairy to find the container than to find the tooth under the pillow.

• Sprinkle fairy dust or sparkles under the pillow along with the tooth money. The reason? Well, they rubbed off the fairy’s wings as she wiggled under the pillow.

• And if the tooth fairy does happen to forget, you can have your children look again. Sometimes, a too-busy fairy doesn’t get to your house until breakfast time. Or you can put a forgotten tooth in glass of water with a shake of salt. The next night, there’s usually double the amount of money. Of course, this only works when the tooth fairy forgets. Or you might want to suggest to your child that she or he look under your pillow. Sometimes the tooth fairy gets confused and goes to the wrong room.

Vicki Lansky’s practical, common sense approach to parenting is familiar to millions throughout the world. Vicki’s first book, Feed Me, I’m Yours, published in 1974, and still one of the most popular baby/toddler food cookbooks in the country, was followed by The Taming of the C.A.N.D.Y. Monster, a #1 New York Times bestseller. Her other titles include: Toilet Training, Birthday Parties Best Party Tips & Ideas For Ages 1-8, Dear Babysitter Handbook, Welcoming Your Second Baby, Getting Your Child to Sleep … and Back to Sleep, Trouble-free Travel with Children, Baby Proofing Basics and Games Babies Play From Birth to Twelve Months, Koko Bear’s New Potty, A New Baby at Koko Bear’s House, Koko Bear and the New Babysitter, and Koko Bear’s Big Earache. Vicki Lansky’s Divorce Book for Parents: Helping Children Cope with Divorce and Its Aftermath