What’s the Going Rate for the Tooth Fairy?

Your child is excited and nervous. Their first tooth is very loose and they are about to lose it. They can’t stop wiggling it and want it to come out. They try a little too hard to pull, but it still won’t come. You tell them to not pull too much on it. Too late though because they have just pulled the tooth and now they’ve got a decent amount of blood coming out of the place that their tooth just used to be.

Losing teeth is an exciting time for kids and parents alike. It means that your child is growing up. It’s a rite of passage that every child will go through at some point as they grow up. Some may lose teeth sooner than others, but ultimately they will be getting their permanent adult teeth in - the ones that you really have to take care of.

With the tooth out, your child will be excited and quickly say that they can’t wait for the tooth fairy to bring them some money. The real question though is how much money is the tooth fairy bringing these days? Has the tooth fairy tried to keep up with cost of living and inflation (unlike most jobs) or is she just as cheap as the rest of the economy, and things have stayed pretty much the same? The answer is that it depends.

The number one item to remember when helping the tooth fairy decide how much to bring for your child is that you shouldn't be going broke trying to give money to your child. While you may be tempted to provide them a decent amount of money, you should really keep it in a reasonable amount. Losing teeth is something that your child has to do, and there’s no reason that they should be significantly increasing their savings because of it.

The other thing to consider is where the tooth fairy likes to leave money for your child. Is it going on the table or under their pillow? When I was growing up, we always got the money under our pillow. With our kids, we have them leave the tooth on the table for the tooth fairy to leave money for them - trying to lift your child’s head after they are asleep just seems too risky. This affects how much you might leave because coins are a bit risky to be going under pillows. They can make a bit too much noise when clinking together, and if your child is a big mover at night then they’re far more likely to get lost. Your child might be disappointed if they only find one quarter in the morning when the tooth fairy actually left a few quarters for them.

In terms of actual amount to leave, that’s really up to the parents and their finances. One to two dollars is the most common amount that kids are receiving from the tooth fairy, but that depends on many factors that are all related to the family household budget. A lot of times, the tooth fairy will like to give a little bonus for the first tooth since it is such an exciting and nervous time for a child - that number may go to five dollars for the first tooth and then drop to one dollar for all of the following teeth. Whatever you decide, stick to it and be consistent. At the end of the day, your child will be just fine with whatever amount you give to them.

One other note is that the tooth fairy can sometimes be forgetful or too busy to make it to your home. When this happens, the tooth fairy will usually bring some extra money to make up for not being able to make it the night before. Hopefully the tooth fairy isn’t too forgetful though, because after missing 2 nights in a row, the amount of money that she owes is way more than she should probably be paying to their child.

The tooth fairy is a fun thing for kids. Don’t let the amount of money stress you out that she should be bringing for your kids - kids will survive with whatever amount the tooth fairy is able to bring.