Dissing the Tooth Fairy

I took my kids to their respective karate and gymnastics classes last night. While there, I got "the look" from another parent. My daughter lost her third tooth last week and was wiggling the next candidate as she awaited her class. As the girl likes to do, she was telling complete strangers about her recent dental changes and was enthusiastically displaying her new toothless void. When the lady asked her if the tooth fairy had visited (expecting an enthusiastic "Yes!"), my daughter responded with a straight face and a simple "no." That's when I got “the look.” The is the gaze one receives when another person thinks you're either an awful parent keeping a child from their innocence, or a practitioner of a strange religion that shuns the existence of the tooth fairy. Immediately, I had to stammer for an explanation to my daughter's words by stating, "It’s HER choice!"

That's right...my daughter refuses to give up her teeth. We've reminded her that the tooth fairy will reward her handsomely for the teeth (hinting at $5 for the first and a dollar for each additional), but she refuses to part with them. I've never received an explanation that makes a lot of sense, just that she wants to keep them in a cheap plastic McDonald's Happy Meal toy container that looks like a tooth fairy. I've seen her play with this toy and I can imagine all her teeth spilled over the carpeted floor, leading to me eventually stepping upon an incisor in the dark of night and feeling it penetrate to the bone in my bare foot.

She asked if she could write a letter to the tooth fairy for money rather than offer up a tooth, but in an effort to teach her a little about sacrificing for a greater reward, we decided not to allow that. Give up the teeth and get the cash. No exception. Otherwise, she could write a letter anytime requesting money and simply expecting it without any sacrifice or actions in exchange. I’ve seen her struggle with the dilemma, while being amazed at both her decision and her acceptance of said consequence. Between you and me, I’m sure her decisions will be amply rewarded eventually. Either that, or when her brother starts showing a profit (he’s already looking forward to his first payment) she’ll change her mind and seek a bulk tooth-deposit.

I suppose that I'm destined to get “the look” from other parents for quite a while. But frankly, they can look to their heart’s content, for I know I'm a decent parent that's allowing my daughter to do as she wishes and to learn to make tough independent choices. I might regret that when she becomes a more opinionated teenager, but by then, I'll be dealing with her looks rather than those from others.

Groundhog Beginning

My eyes slowly opened to the morning light. No alarms, no loud noises. Just a gentle awakening that I’d not experienced in months. Usually I’m reaching for my cell phone alarm or hearing the whispers of my kids waking me at the crack of down. But on this Saturday morning, at roughly 8:00, I awoke simply because I was ready to wake up. I savored the silence and had one thought. “What are the kids up to?”

I soon had my answer as I heard whispering in the hallway. My wife had also just awoken and we both decided to play possum to see what the kids’ plans were. I heard whispers and tiptoeing on the carpet. Finally a soft counting of, “one, two, three….” The chord from a harmonica screeched somewhat quietly, followed by a rousing chorus of “Happy Groundhog Day to You!”

I opened my eyes as the two tikes smiled and swayed as they sang their song. Before I could applaud, they started the next phase of their presentation. Walking to my wife’s side of the bed, my son proclaimed, “In recognition of Groundhog day, I proclaim you as the Groundhog Queen” as he placed a paper crown upon her head. Rather than jewels adorning the tiara, smiling ground hog faces circled my wife’s head. Her face was beaming with pride.

My daughter then presented me with a card. The front was written in blue crayon: “It is growhog day. Wod you like to play?” Inside, the choice was “Yes or No” Of course, I responded with a resounding yes. My son then asked me if I thought the groundhog would see his shadow today? Judging from the sunlight streaming through the blinds, I told him he would He seemed to be thrilled with the answer.

The day has since proceeded as any other Saturday…with a nice cooked (not nuked) breakfast and plenty of Saturday morning cartoons. I’m sure we’ll run our errands later on and take care of some household chores. But today, I’ll make an extra effort to play, and my wife will still be wearing groundhogs on her head.