A few weeks back I was sitting at the kitchen table with the kids having lunch one day when Honeybun told me something that I wasn’t ready for: “Mommy, I have a loose tooth!” While I reacted eagerly and said something like “Wow! That’s so cool, you’re such a big girl!” But inside I was panicking a little, it was the last part of my statement. She is actually becoming a big girl.
I knew it was coming, I predicted it when she turned 6. All the things that happen during the 6th year are astounding and this one caught my off-guard. I started to tear up because reality was in my face. My first little baby is growing up!
It’s been a rough few weeks. She’s been wiggling and pulling and twisting and crying and complaining it hurts. She’s been excited and she’s been scared. She’s asked every person she knows who has lost teeth what she could try to get it out.
We tried sticking a Starburst on it. She tried biting and pulling with a rag. Hubby tried yanking it out. I held her while she tried to pull it out (and I grimaced…loose teeth kinda freak me out!)
After all the weeks of struggle, as we were laying her down for bed a few nights ago, she asked daddy to try pulling on it one more time. I glanced in her mouth and the tooth was barely hanging on. I proclaimed “That tooth is coming out tonight!” and we set to work.
We tried more wiggling, twisting and yanking but nothing. It was hanging on by a tiny bit of something (I’m still not sure what) so I grabbed some floss and after many attempts, hubby finally got it loose and Honeybun spit the tooth into her hand!
At first she cried, I think from relief. She had been so scared and stressed about it and kept saying “I don’t know what it’s going to be like!” and I think she was just so overwhelmed for it to be done. But then she was excited and proud of herself and glad it didn’t hurt anymore.
That night she placed the tooth under her pillow and surprisingly, the Toothfairy didn’t leave her money. Instead, the Toothfairy brought her a gift card to pick out a charm bracelet. She was so excited to go pick out her own bracelet and hubby and I bought her a charm and maybe she will get a new charm for her bracelet each time she loses a tooth!
Had never thought of losing teeth as a rite of passage, but how correcto!! Loving the tooth fairy giving out giftcards -BUENISIMO! Wonder if I can get some for dentures… ; ) BB2U
I would ask for a shopping spree when losing the adult teeth! Hopefully the next 19 teeth won’t be so traumatic for all of us!
The charm bracelet is a brilliant idea!
Thanks. The Toothfairy really wanted her to have something meaningful that could be added to as she loses more teeth. I really wonder, though, what she’s going to bring Doodle for his first tooth (good thing she’s got a few years to think about it!)
This was such a milestone in our house. Then my daughter lost 8 in the last 2 years. The tooth fairy is broke.
#2 is about to fall out of her mouth any second and the Toothfairy is not ready with another charm! (I’m starting to re-think the Toothfairy’s great charm bracelet decision and the added expense and shopping trips it will require!)