Growing Up, Gaining Independence, and a Tooth Fairy Visit

Ironically Sarah showed off her missing
tooth during a visit to her new school.
Sniff, sniff...she's growing up

This week Sarah lost a tooth.  She didn't realize she lost her tooth until her teacher noticed it was missing.  It was likely lost during lunch time eating. Sarah likely swallowed it.  Thankfully she did not seem bothered by the fact that she could not hold the missing tooth or worry that if she didn't have it the tooth fairy would not come.

Sarah's teacher called me during my work day to tell me about the lost tooth and I was so excited. 

What is it about a tooth falling out that is such a big deal?

When our children lose their baby teeth it's like a rite of passage.  Fortunately, Sarah's first tooth did not come with much tugging and pulling (yuck and yeah).  She just experienced a bit of pain for a few days as it was uncomfortable.

Well, our children are growing up and a lost tooth is part of the growing process. While thankfully there are 19 more teeth to go in Sarah's mouth, there are still many more years that she will allow me to hold her, hug her and envelop her in my arms.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...my baby is growing up.

Today is also Sarah's last day of pre-school and next week begins Kindergarten. 

You can bet I will be that parent balling her eyes out as my child gets on the bus filled with happy and sad tears.  I will be happy of course because Sarah is so excited to start a new chapter and grow up.  Sadness may also ensue me as my little girl is growing up and blossoming and moving on in her development.

I am so incredibly proud to be a parent and especially to be Sarah's mom. While I have a lump in my
throat ready to well in tears, I know that Sarah growing up is necessary and inevitable.  She will always be my baby, but I am always going to do what I can to make the journey to growing up fun and enjoyable.

So, after Sarah wrote a note to the tooth fairy telling her that she believed in her, she tucked it under her pillow and fell to sleep.  And, as you can imagine, the tooth fairy arrived last night. She left Sarah a lovely note and great thanks for taking such great care of her teeth. She assured Sarah that her lost tooth made its way to her and that it was in good hands. Also inside was a new toothbrush, toothpaste and a cute little box for Sarah to store her future teeth, those that she doesn't swallow.  Also included was a dollar bill signed by the tooth fairy herself for Sarah to use to do whatever it is that she would like.

Let's just say that when morning came Sarah was beyond excited on all levels. While she couldn't really read the letter, when I read it to her she beamed.  She was so happy to know that even though her tooth was lost, it was found. And, she loved her new treats. Sarah, who had just been to the dentist recently for her check-up, with yet again, a clean bill of health, was so proud of what she accomplished.  She was happy to hear that the tooth fairy was impressed with how well she kept her teeth clean too.

Our little ones are growing up and it's hard to see them change but it is wonderful to see their independence.

There are many fun ways to make cleaning teeth fun and enjoying the changes that our little ones are going through.  A while back on Mommy's Point of View I shared about a book called Melvin The Magnificent Molar and have to say that this book was a great foray into the discussion about teeth with Sarah and became a staple in our regular reading time.  It's a book I encourage. We have been reading it since Sarah's first dentist visit in her first year.

Would love to hear of your creative ideas on how you introduced The Tooth Fairy to your children.