WHEN THE TOOTH FAIRY VISITS – TWICE!
I still remember when my twin girls budded their first baby teeth. It was followed by many days and nights of rubbing baby teething gel onto their gums to relieve pain and discomfort.
Teething is one of many exciting milestones parents check off in the first year. This year, we found ourselves at a new milestone when baby teeth began to fall out.
At 5, each twin has now lost four teeth – two at the bottom and two on top.
Now the girls have both their top front teeth missing just in time to belt out their rendition of “All I want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth” for the holiday season!
Having twins mean double the amount of teeth falling out at the same time, which for some parents, can be overwhelming. Here is a checklist for parents with multiples to help manage this transition to the big kid years.
- Make losing teeth exciting for the child
If you inspire the magic of the Tooth Fairy, then losing a tooth can be very exciting for children.
I recommend buying a special tooth fairy pouch (or making one if you’re crafty) so the kids can put the tooth safely under their pillow.
However, you need to figure out a creative (and quiet) way to swap that tooth out with a letter from the Tooth Fairy and money, without waking your child.
One way is to get another pouch filled with the goodies to swap out once they’re asleep.
There are also great children’s stories to read to your multiples about the Tooth Fairy, and the importance of keeping teeth clean.
Fairy tales and magic make childhood memories wonderful and inspiring, and is a great way to make this milestone a fun and educational one for everyone, parents included.
- Loose tooth extraction? Leave it to your child!
With eight teeth lost under our belt, I can tell you that the best way to remove a tooth is to wait for the child to do it.
We have had many nights when we have tried to pull the wobbly tooth out for our twins, resulting only in stress and tears.
When you leave the tooth alone, it will fall out on its own eventually. Some of the ways we have experienced teeth coming out are:
- Child pulled it out
- Fell out while eating
- Fell out while sleeping (not found)
- We (parents) pulled it out
For our twins, the least stressful tooth extraction method was when they pulled it out themselves. If the tooth falls out but cannot be found (i.e. if it was accidentally swallowed), we respond by saying that the Tooth Fairy must have pulled it out without their knowledge.
- Keep a consistent dollar value for the Tooth Fairy
When the first tooth fell out, we gave them $5. However, with so many teeth falling out now, the Tooth Fairy has decided to give a gold coin (2 Australian dollars) per tooth instead.
When you have twins or more, or multiple children at similar tooth-losing age – $5 here and there can add up fast. Think of a reasonable rate you can afford and stick to that.
Once teeth start falling, they drop fast. With twins, losing teeth happens at twice the rate.
Keep a stash of dollar bills or gold coins (whatever your going rate is) in your secret drawer so that the Tooth Fairy is always prepared.
About the Author
Lisa priofileLisa Devereaux is mom to identical twin girls. Growing up she was also a big sister to identical twins sisters so twins certainly have run in this family.
Lisa lives in Australia and now manages the community blog for parents of multiples called Multiples and More. Follow Lisa on Facebook.
Lisa welcomes bloggers and parenting experts for twins, triplets and more to share their stories with the community.