We had some very exciting news at our house this morning - our five year old daughter lost her first tooth!  Ok, so maybe some of us were more excited than others - my daughter was in shock and started to cry.  I don’t think she was expecting a hole in her mouth quite so soon!  And I was a bit surprised too, because I really didn’t think the tooth was ready to come out.  Of course, the first thing that ran through my mind was, “what the heck am I putting this tooth in?  I am so unprepared!”  So, of course, while my children are at school I will run out to find a tooth holder.

My daughter is quite aware of the Tooth Fairy.  However, she has made her own rules and boundaries about this strange lady!  The Tooth Fairy is not allowed in our house.  My job today is to call her and notify Miss TF that we will be mailing the tooth and she can then mail my daughter’s gift to her.  There will be no stuffing anything under my daughter’s pillow.  Tomorrow morning she will visit the mailbox and find an envelope from the tooth fairy.  After all, the tooth fairy can easily overnight it!

Clearly my five year old has a mind of her own, but I secretly love it!  I am happy that in certain instances she does not care what others do and can dance to the beat of her own drum. 

I think sometimes I try too hard to want my children to do things the same way as everyone else, but this has made me really question, why?  Who cares if my daughter never wants her tooth under her pillow?  She is creating her own way of doing things, and I can definitely take a lesson out of her book.

Well, I am off to be the Tooth Fairy for the first time ever and I think I have finally earned those wings!  Goodbye baby teeth and hello to my kinda big girl! 

Rebecca Schleifer April 08, 2013

Tags: teachable moment