My blog has moved!

You should be automatically redirected in 5 seconds. If not, visit
http://thegirlrevolution.com
and update your bookmarks.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Empowering Girls: Tooth Fairy Inflation

pink puppy small.jpg

Mom! Victoria got a puppy from the Tooth Fairy! My six-year-old told me after a visit with her BFF.

Uh. The Tooth Fairy brings children money for teeth not puppies, I told her.

Nu uh. Victoria got a toy! I saw the puppy, she challenged.

A toy? Well, I think the Tooth Fairy brings money to our house, I explained, desperate to draw a boundary.

I'm writing her a note, says Ainsley.

We'll see, I say.

What is wrong with Victoria's Mom? I think. There have been generations of a common parental pact that says $1 in change is what a tooth is worth. What is this inflation? Divorce guilt? Competition with Daddy? I am not getting sucked into this trap.

Two weeks later, Ainsley wrestles with brother Zack. Out pops front tooth.

The Tooth Fairy is going to bring me a pink toy puppy! She informs me.

Why don't you call your daddy at work and tell him you lost a tooth, I say.

Daddy I lost a tooth and the tooth fair is going to bring me a toy!

What kind of toy?

A pink puppy.

Let me talk to him, I said. Whispering from the bathroom, She's writing a note. Are we going to fall for this?

I guess I'll pick up a pink dog on the way home.

Are we buying toys for teeth now and taking requests? I have a bad feeling about this.
An hour later he smuggles this giant pink poodle in.

Are you kidding?

It's the only pink poodle Walmart had.

What about the Dollar Store?

Closed.

What does she have, like 25 teeth? And she's gonna tell Zack, he's got 25 more. We can't keep this up! How much was that dog?

$7.

What the hell is wrong with Victoria's mom? Doesn't she know about the parental code of honor? I can't believe we fell for this crap, I say as he steals her tooth from her pillow.

I deeply apologize, we got suckered. I heard her tell the whole kindergarten class.

20 comments:

Whirlwind said...

When Einey lost her first tooth, we were talking to other parents and their tooth fairy leaves $5 every time. Um thanks but no thanks! The girls get $1. ($2 for the first tooth - a gold coin and a dollar). That's it.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't Victoria's mom realize she's going to lose a mouth full of teeth? Sounds like Victoria's mom is related to some of those mothers on 'my sweet sixteen'..

"Thank you materialistic parents for spoiling your children to the point that mine feel underpriveledged in our middle class existence." "Thanks for making my life seem destitute, even though we have a car, a house, nice clothes, toys, food on the table.."

Ashley

Anonymous said...

Also, tell your husband I think he's a hell of a guy for walking through wal-mart with a big pink poodle!

Ashley

Tracee Sioux, Sioux Ink: Soul Purpose Publishing said...

I know! Right?

And she's not even rich - Victoria's mom. It's more like the idea that she shouldn't "deprive" her daughter anything even though she's anything but rich.

You know how the poorest people buy their kid the battery powered car because they saw Rich Dad do it? Otherwise they feel bad about their ability to provide.

It's more that scenario.

I shouldn't have fallen for it!

Violet said...

A dollar! I got 50 cents.

Anonymous said...

Don't feel too bad - at least you're one of those parents that actually questions the trend instead of trying to one-up it..

Ashley

Crystal Gable said...

When Maddie lost her first tooth, we thought we were being really generous and gave her several paper dollar bills under her pillow. She almost cried the next morning when she found the money and said, "The tooth fairy cheated me.. she's supposed to leave coins!"

Anonymous said...

My son would also rather get coin money instead of bills - because they are small,shiny, fit in his pocket and are apparently the currency of pirates they have much more value than dollar bills.

Thanks you Lord for throwing us a bone! :)

Ashley

1001 Petals said...

So funny :)

--
I have no clue what we'll leave my daughter. . .fortunately in Canada we have $1 and $2 coins. But will I even want to let her believe in the tooth fairy? Does it really matter? So confused. Thank god she's only 3.5 mos old and I have some time to figure this out.

:)

Tracee Sioux, Sioux Ink: Soul Purpose Publishing said...

Any day some kids' going to tell him if he writes a note he can actually get a toy pirate, then he'll no longer be satisfied with pirate coins.

Anonymous said...

No, I've got it - we're going to tell him Santa will get mad if the toothfairy brings him toys. You know, that's Santa's territory and he doesn't like the toothfairy stepping on his toes. I'll tell him that we don't want to cause any friction between the two because normally they get along real well and so he'd better not write the note afterall.

Taaa Daa!

Take that Victoria's mom!


Ashley

Tracee Sioux, Sioux Ink: Soul Purpose Publishing said...

I can't believe I didn't think of that Santa thing. Dope! Well, at least now you have a heads up.

Anonymous said...

lol.

Anonymous said...

Next go 'round leave four quarters and tell her the toothfair had to cut back due to the rising cost of oil. Leave a note in a fancy font....it worked for us.

Anonymous said...

That's too funny Jen!

Tracee Sioux, Sioux Ink: Soul Purpose Publishing said...

I'm going to do it. For all parents everywhere. We can't let this Tooth Fairy brings TOYS thing catch on.

I feel this is what I deserve - when I was a kid I heard about a holiday in Europe where children left snowboots outside and in the morning they were filled with candy. My mother totally fell for it. And I put my brothers' snowboots out too. In the morning filled with candy and toys. (I was old enough to connect the dots that she fell for it too). What comes around goes around.

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with you. Tooth fairies leave coins not toys, but man oh man, how to deal with the problem you've raised? No clue, none at all from me.

Rhea said...

The tooth fairy would be shot on site if she brought a giant pink poodle to our house. lol

Anonymous said...

Any chance that Victoria's Mom got suckered into this as well, and that this is just an ongoing perpetration?

She may have even been suckered and then been apologizing to the world as well.

Tracee Sioux, Sioux Ink: Soul Purpose Publishing said...

It's totally possible, jaymonster. (she's a pretty indulged child though - Ainsley's always talking about how Victoria gets any toy she wants and what is my problem).

I should have stopped it instead of perpetuating it.

I told Ainsley that the Tooth Fairy only brings a toy once. Then it's money and she can buy whatever toys she wants with the money (at the $1 Store).

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Empowering Girls: Tooth Fairy Inflation

pink puppy small.jpg

Mom! Victoria got a puppy from the Tooth Fairy! My six-year-old told me after a visit with her BFF.

Uh. The Tooth Fairy brings children money for teeth not puppies, I told her.

Nu uh. Victoria got a toy! I saw the puppy, she challenged.

A toy? Well, I think the Tooth Fairy brings money to our house, I explained, desperate to draw a boundary.

I'm writing her a note, says Ainsley.

We'll see, I say.

What is wrong with Victoria's Mom? I think. There have been generations of a common parental pact that says $1 in change is what a tooth is worth. What is this inflation? Divorce guilt? Competition with Daddy? I am not getting sucked into this trap.

Two weeks later, Ainsley wrestles with brother Zack. Out pops front tooth.

The Tooth Fairy is going to bring me a pink toy puppy! She informs me.

Why don't you call your daddy at work and tell him you lost a tooth, I say.

Daddy I lost a tooth and the tooth fair is going to bring me a toy!

What kind of toy?

A pink puppy.

Let me talk to him, I said. Whispering from the bathroom, She's writing a note. Are we going to fall for this?

I guess I'll pick up a pink dog on the way home.

Are we buying toys for teeth now and taking requests? I have a bad feeling about this.
An hour later he smuggles this giant pink poodle in.

Are you kidding?

It's the only pink poodle Walmart had.

What about the Dollar Store?

Closed.

What does she have, like 25 teeth? And she's gonna tell Zack, he's got 25 more. We can't keep this up! How much was that dog?

$7.

What the hell is wrong with Victoria's mom? Doesn't she know about the parental code of honor? I can't believe we fell for this crap, I say as he steals her tooth from her pillow.

I deeply apologize, we got suckered. I heard her tell the whole kindergarten class.

20 comments:

Whirlwind said...

When Einey lost her first tooth, we were talking to other parents and their tooth fairy leaves $5 every time. Um thanks but no thanks! The girls get $1. ($2 for the first tooth - a gold coin and a dollar). That's it.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't Victoria's mom realize she's going to lose a mouth full of teeth? Sounds like Victoria's mom is related to some of those mothers on 'my sweet sixteen'..

"Thank you materialistic parents for spoiling your children to the point that mine feel underpriveledged in our middle class existence." "Thanks for making my life seem destitute, even though we have a car, a house, nice clothes, toys, food on the table.."

Ashley

Anonymous said...

Also, tell your husband I think he's a hell of a guy for walking through wal-mart with a big pink poodle!

Ashley

Tracee Sioux, Sioux Ink: Soul Purpose Publishing said...

I know! Right?

And she's not even rich - Victoria's mom. It's more like the idea that she shouldn't "deprive" her daughter anything even though she's anything but rich.

You know how the poorest people buy their kid the battery powered car because they saw Rich Dad do it? Otherwise they feel bad about their ability to provide.

It's more that scenario.

I shouldn't have fallen for it!

Violet said...

A dollar! I got 50 cents.

Anonymous said...

Don't feel too bad - at least you're one of those parents that actually questions the trend instead of trying to one-up it..

Ashley

Crystal Gable said...

When Maddie lost her first tooth, we thought we were being really generous and gave her several paper dollar bills under her pillow. She almost cried the next morning when she found the money and said, "The tooth fairy cheated me.. she's supposed to leave coins!"

Anonymous said...

My son would also rather get coin money instead of bills - because they are small,shiny, fit in his pocket and are apparently the currency of pirates they have much more value than dollar bills.

Thanks you Lord for throwing us a bone! :)

Ashley

1001 Petals said...

So funny :)

--
I have no clue what we'll leave my daughter. . .fortunately in Canada we have $1 and $2 coins. But will I even want to let her believe in the tooth fairy? Does it really matter? So confused. Thank god she's only 3.5 mos old and I have some time to figure this out.

:)

Tracee Sioux, Sioux Ink: Soul Purpose Publishing said...

Any day some kids' going to tell him if he writes a note he can actually get a toy pirate, then he'll no longer be satisfied with pirate coins.

Anonymous said...

No, I've got it - we're going to tell him Santa will get mad if the toothfairy brings him toys. You know, that's Santa's territory and he doesn't like the toothfairy stepping on his toes. I'll tell him that we don't want to cause any friction between the two because normally they get along real well and so he'd better not write the note afterall.

Taaa Daa!

Take that Victoria's mom!


Ashley

Tracee Sioux, Sioux Ink: Soul Purpose Publishing said...

I can't believe I didn't think of that Santa thing. Dope! Well, at least now you have a heads up.

Anonymous said...

lol.

Anonymous said...

Next go 'round leave four quarters and tell her the toothfair had to cut back due to the rising cost of oil. Leave a note in a fancy font....it worked for us.

Anonymous said...

That's too funny Jen!

Tracee Sioux, Sioux Ink: Soul Purpose Publishing said...

I'm going to do it. For all parents everywhere. We can't let this Tooth Fairy brings TOYS thing catch on.

I feel this is what I deserve - when I was a kid I heard about a holiday in Europe where children left snowboots outside and in the morning they were filled with candy. My mother totally fell for it. And I put my brothers' snowboots out too. In the morning filled with candy and toys. (I was old enough to connect the dots that she fell for it too). What comes around goes around.

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with you. Tooth fairies leave coins not toys, but man oh man, how to deal with the problem you've raised? No clue, none at all from me.

Rhea said...

The tooth fairy would be shot on site if she brought a giant pink poodle to our house. lol

Anonymous said...

Any chance that Victoria's Mom got suckered into this as well, and that this is just an ongoing perpetration?

She may have even been suckered and then been apologizing to the world as well.

Tracee Sioux, Sioux Ink: Soul Purpose Publishing said...

It's totally possible, jaymonster. (she's a pretty indulged child though - Ainsley's always talking about how Victoria gets any toy she wants and what is my problem).

I should have stopped it instead of perpetuating it.

I told Ainsley that the Tooth Fairy only brings a toy once. Then it's money and she can buy whatever toys she wants with the money (at the $1 Store).