Ok...the post....
Loosing teeth is one of those childhood memories we all remember. You loose a tooth, tell all your friends, put the tooth under your pillow and then in the morning the tooth fairy left you money. Who wouldn't be excited over this? I even tried putting my puppies teeth under my pillow when I was little to see if it would work....to no avail!
Unfortunately, loosing teeth is not like this for Anna Cate. Most of her teeth she has lost she has swallowed. She eats something, we see a little blood, see there is a missing tooth and have a huge feeling of guilt.
We never knew it was loose, we never knew if it was causing her any pain, we never knew anything until it was too late.
Now we have started to pay close attention to different reactions when we brush her teeth. It worked the last time two times she lost teeth in the last 3 months! She let me feel around in her mouth to figure out which one was loose and we kept an eye on it. She will still swallow them unless we watch her carefully while she is eating. The last one she actually spit out herself onto the kitchen table!
I don't think she really cares too much about the tooth fairy. When we talk about it, she doesn't "light up" like when we talk about Santa. She almost looks at me with this face as if she were saying, "Mom, come on....really a tooth fairy?" We still go through the motions, but I know she was on to us a long time ago!
Speaking of being on to us....right around the time Anna Cate lost her most recent tooth, Betsie asked me in front of her brother (mind you he is 5 and hasn't lost ONE tooth yet) if the Tooth Fairy was real. This is the THIRD time she has asked me this question. Of course, I said, "yes, the tooth fairy is real", with a certain look on my face. A look she knows all too well.
I always want me children to feel comfortable enough to come talk to me about anything in life. I felt at this time, having been asked the same question about the Tooth Fairy THREE times in 6 months, it was probably time to go ahead and share the news about the Tooth Fairy.
Later on in the day when Will go home, I went upstairs to Betsie's room and asked her if we could talk. I started by saying "you asked me a question downstairs and it was the third time you asked me, and I thought it was time to talk about it". She then looked right at me and said, "Mom, your the Tooth Fairy aren't you?" "Yes, honey I am". To which she replied, "I knew it. And the Easter Bunny isn't real either is he?" "No, honey the Easter Bunny is not real either". No tears, nothing. Just a matter of fact conversation with no disappointments as she knows she will still get treats! Smart kid!
I was praying the questions of all questions would not come up as I was not ready to let go of this yet, she said to me, " I know Santa is real!". And I said, "I believe too!"
I am so glad I had this conversation with her first and foremost as I mentioned above, I always want her to be able to ask me anything. I wanted to be the person to talk to her about this, not some kid at school. I also know kids at school talk and this is about the time they start talking. And she is on the internet, so if she wanted to google tooth fairy I am sure she would be able to figure it out! Plus, who knows what would come up if she did google Tooth Fairy...I may have a bigger issues on my hands!
She was not upset at all. I think more than anything she was happy to know I told her the truth. She did make a promise to me she would not talk to anyone about this as many of her friends still believe and I do not want it coming from her. And most importantly she is not to tell her brother at all! Not even when she is mad at him...never! She knows no one ruined the Tooth Fairy experience for her and we would not want to ruin it for her brother.
I was a little sad telling her about the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny as it means she is growing up, but I was very proud of our first "big girl" conversation. I think she knows she can come to be with any question and know I am always here for her.
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