Editor’s Note: The Tooth Fairy has been visiting kids since ages. he came when I was a kid and even when my mum was one! But who is the Tooth Fairy? What’s his job? Our member meeta012 tells us more. If you have a story to share about the time when the tooth fairy came visiting you or your little one then write in to us here.
The Tooth fairy is an example of folklore sometimes presented to children as fact. Other prominent examples are Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. The realization or discovery that such stories are make-believe is considered a part of growing up.
Such realizations can also cause significant emotional pain in some children due to feelings of betrayal, while other children regard it as a small matter or are proud of themselves for having unmasked the truth. Many adults remember clearly for their whole lives when and how they discovered the truth.
Typically,on losing a tooth the child places the tooth under his or her pillow before going to sleep. In the morning the child finds a coin,small banknote, or a present in the place of the tooth (placed by mom or dad:)
A less-common variant is for the child to place the tooth in a glass of water beside the bed. Again, in the morning, the tooth is replaced with a coin. This variant is becoming more popular, as it is far easier for parents to find a tooth in a glass of water beside the bed without waking the child than it is to search under the pillow.
The primary useful purpose of the tooth-fairy myth is probably to give children a small reward and something to look forward to when they lose a tooth, a process which they might otherwise find worrisome. It also gives children a reason to give up a part of themselves that they may have grown attached to.
Go right ahead and try it out. It is harmless and gives the child something to show off at school the next day.
