Simon’s right center incisor is beginning to wiggle. It’s not actually wiggling, but there’s some movement if you press against it. I discovered this today after Simon complained for the second day running that his tooth felt weird when he ate. This tooth, one of Simon’s first two, made its first appearance 5 years and 7 months ago.
We now have to make two decisions rather quickly:
- To Tooth Fairy or not to Tooth Fairy: We don’t do Santa or the Easter Bunny, but that was a no-brainer in our half-Jewish household. I didn’t grow up with the Tooth Fairy either, but that was owing to practical, not philosophical considerations. (I lost very few teeth; I was one of those kids with double rows until the dentist tired of waiting me out and extracted the baby teeth, two-by-two, in the office. When losing a tooth requires a trip to the dentist, happy gas, and financial outlay, the Tooth Fairy does not come.) So do we do the tooth fairy? I don’t know. I’ve spent so much time discussing real vs. pretend with Simon lately because of nighttime scary thought issues, that I’m not sure if I want to introduce a make-believe character on purpose, even if it’s a benign one. I’m also not sure he’d buy it.
- Do I book a family photo shoot right away? Besides school pics, I’ve only had one set of formal pictures taken, back when Simon was eight months old. Before now, I haven’t felt compelled, but I know that in about two or three months his face will be forever changed. And for that matter, his parents aren’t getting any younger, either. How urgent is this?
Thinking, thinking, thinking…
I know you did not ask for my opinion, but here it is anyway. Yes, a family photo is in order. As far as the tooth fairy goes, he is never going to believe that. I would just give him a buck or two for every tooth he looses. And for the record, I’m sorry that I told you that if the doctor had to pull the teeth and I had to pay for that service there was no tooth fairy. At the very least a buck or two for bravery would not have killed me. Your grandmother was right…we do get old too soon and smart too late.
We had the “tooth fairy” but both my brother and I knew she was really mom. By 5 or 6, as Rita says, kids never really believe it.