I'm a Terrible Mom!!! I Forgot About the Toothfairy AGAIN!! :-(

Updated on December 22, 2014
M.P. asks from Federal Way, WA
22 answers

I feel awful. When my son walked out for a second time into the living room with a look of sadness I can't describe, I realized I'd forgotten again. I've been so pre-occupied and tired lately and just fell asleep last night and completely forgot to be the "tooth fairy". This happened a couple teeth ago also, but in my defense it was my husband who was supposed to do it that night and I thought it had been done already so I didn't go in there! Now he's really starting to lose faith in these things and the kids at school have already talked about no Santa and he gets very sad. He's only 7. He loses so many teeth between him and his brother, I lose track. I understand this is bound to happen to all parents at one time or another so I need some advice on what to do! How do the moms out there with 4 or 5 kids manage to do it? I can't even handle my two, lol... This morning I told him that maybe she got too busy helping Santa out, kinda like an elf at Christmas. Last time I told him she got busy trying to handle all the children that lost their teeth that night and ran out of time and we left extra in the pillow the following night. It gets harder every time!

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

C.V.

answers from Columbia on

Call her. ;-) Maybe his window was stuck. Go in, make a real show of struggling to get it open, and then get it unstuck so she can get in tonight.

I forgot once. I called the Tooth Fairy, and MAGICALLY, after he came back in his room from brushing his teeth, his shiny 50 cent peice was there. :-)

ETA: OMG! I just Googled "The tooth fairy didn't come" and this is the first page on the list. Super cute and a way to answer questions about why she was late... http://www.toothfairyland.com/tflwrite.html

8 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.B.

answers from San Francisco on

When I did that I just told the kid to go look again, that maybe s/he had missed it. So I would go and help them "look" and secretly plant the money while doing so. It's easily remedied.

LOL Theresa - "the tooth fairy fail." Too true.

7 moms found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

O.O.

answers from Los Angeles on

Am I the only mom on the planet to murmur "it's gotta be here somewhere...." while I palm a dollar and miraculously find it in the pillow case? Sheesh.

14 moms found this helpful

J.S.

answers from St. Louis on

You just act shocked, grab some money, and help him find the money.

10 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.W.

answers from Portland on

I have only one and have forgotten-- so please don't beat yourself up.
We mothers are tired sometimes, taking care of those little toothy critters, that it's very human to forget about something like this.

I once told my son that "oh, maybe I put it in the wrong place for the Tooth Fairy" and once it was in the right place, he went to the bathroom and the tooth was exchanged for coin. Came out, was wowed, and I just shook my head and 'duh', mom had forgotten to follow some esoteric rule and wasn't I silly?

7 moms found this helpful

T.N.

answers from Albany on

Omg, you're so sweet!

Yeah, what Christy said.

And try to enjoy Christmas, okay? In spite of the fact that you are not perfect. While they're still little.

Before you know it, you'll be laughing about The Tooth Fairy Fail with him over a beer when his oldest loses his first tooth. Seriously!

:)

6 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.T.

answers from Muncie on

I forget ALL the time...plus her room is a death trap. :) I've taken to getting her to set up a place outside her room and leaving a "little" note for her to find when I finally do remember. I've even taken the blame of being up too late and keeping the fairy away. You know, cause faeries don't show up for grown-ups. Heck, I've even told her that the tooth fairy's favorite food is pink Oreos so she can set one out and try to bribe the fairy to come by when she's at school during the day. We keep her door closed to keeper her baby brother out. I've even given her the excuse that she was looking for the perfect quarters/coins to give her in exchange for the pretty prefect teeth. It worked as a bribe to get her to brush more too. I'm a horrible mom! :)

4 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

I used to forget all the time (between 3 kids, there were a lot of teeth falling out of mouths for many years). Whenever I did, I always shrugged it off with "Oh well, guess the tooth fairy was super busy. She's not perfect, you know. I'm sure she'll get around to you at some point. Keep putting that tooth under your pillow." They always seemed fine with that and eventually, the tooth fairy would remember and they'd have a nice surprise. Low expectations make the end game that much sweeter, I guess. Score one for mediocre parenting. Lol! BTW, my kids (17, 14 and 12) are all fine and not at all traumatized by the crushing disappointments they experienced when young.

4 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.B.

answers from Houston on

Oh sweetie I did that. My little boy came in all sad and said "the tooth fairy forgot about me". I just about died! I said "Oh no she didn't. How could she forget about you? Lets go look." I was able to get to my purse and palmed a dollar. Went to his room and started looking. I grabbed his pillow and put the money inside the pillow case.

He was so happy. He was like "oh she put it in the pillow case." I said "yes, she didn't want you to not get the money".

=)

4 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.T.

answers from Rochester on

That happened once at our house. My husband wrote a note from the tooth fairy about how he (yes, our tooth fairy is a boy) had been on vacation and didn't get back in time before she woke up. He apologized and left a little more than normal as an apology. Our daughter totally bought it.

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

When the tooth fairy doesn't come I go "online" to check about what happened.

The tooth fairy has been sick, on vacation, and hurt where she/he couldn't make their rounds the night before but they are coming the next night or when they get back from vacation...lol.

I have forgotten too. I figured the kids will find out eventually and that's usually when they figure out Santa isn't real. But until they I had them bluffed into thinking the tooth fairy might come that night but they might also come another night just in case.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.B.

answers from Denver on

Put a note under his pillow tonight from the tooth fairy. Write something like "I thought it would be more fun for you to hunt for your tooth surprise money, so I didn't leave it under your pillow like always. I hid it! But you haven't found it yet so I had to leave you this note, with a clue!" And then write some kind of clue, like "look in the linen closet" or "where does Mommy put the clean towels" (as easy or tricky as you like) and then hide the money there in bright paper or tied in a ribbon so he can find it.

2 moms found this helpful

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

the tooth fairy was often late at our house. don't beat yourself up. calmly tell your son that the tooth fairy must be a dingbat, but to hang in there!
really, it just raises the anticipation. if you're really struggling with guilt, throw an extra dollar in there.
:) khairete
S.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

❤.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

You can rectify the situation tonight.
Set yourself a note on your phone to beep at you tonight, also, get the
money ready right now. Go put it in your bathroom by the toilet (you're
inevitably going to have to pee tonight). Put a post it note on the fridge,
your pillow, your bathroom mirror, the toilet seat etc. Leave yourself a
few of them AND put the note in code. Ex. write "dent" for dental etc.
Sneak in tonight after he falls asleep & place under his pillow before you
go to bed OR if you wake up on the couch. But definitely before morning
as they are more apt to be in deep sleep at night rather than right before
the awaken.
Some ways to remember (post-its in code, an alarm on your phone, a
note on the remote to the tv etc.).
It's ok if it's late, just do it tonight.

In regards to Santa, make it a little more special, have Santa accidentaly
rip his clothes on the fire place (a little bit of red felt) or leave some soot
from his boots near the fireplace etc.

Hang in there. I'd be a mess w/o my phone alarm AND post it notes!

Updated

You can rectify the situation tonight.
Set yourself a note on your phone to beep at you tonight, also, get the
money ready right now. Go put it in your bathroom by the toilet (you're
inevitably going to have to pee tonight). Put a post it note on the fridge,
your pillow, your bathroom mirror, the toilet seat etc. Leave yourself a
few of them AND put the note in code. Ex. write "dent" for dental etc.
Sneak in tonight after he falls asleep & place under his pillow before you
go to bed OR if you wake up on the couch. But definitely before morning
as they are more apt to be in deep sleep at night rather than right before
the awaken.
Some ways to remember (post-its in code, an alarm on your phone, a
note on the remote to the tv etc.).
It's ok if it's late, just do it tonight.

In regards to Santa, make it a little more special, have Santa accidentaly
rip his clothes on the fire place (a little bit of red felt) or leave some soot
from his boots near the fireplace etc.

Hang in there. I'd be a mess w/o my phone alarm AND post it notes!

1 mom found this helpful

C.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

If it makes you feel any better...I forget too! I now have my phone send me a little reminder with a ping sound on an evening when I have to remember a tooth! I set it for after the kid's bedtime but before I go to bed. I find that I have to send myself little phone reminders all the time for many things. It really helps.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.W.

answers from Amarillo on

I didn't quite forget about the tooth, I just didn't give a sizeable amount for the tooth. I grabbed changed out of my purse but didn't look and it was a dime.

The child was upset about the amount. I felt bad inside and played it off as the tooth fairy didn't need a big tooth for the spot on the house and she left a small amount to cover what was needed. It seemed to work. The next time I did make sure the amount was larger.

The child is in their 30s and all is well. The experience did not scar her for life. You will be okay.

the other S.

1 mom found this helpful

L.U.

answers from Seattle on

Meh-
I am on my second kid loosing teeth and I forget more then I remember.
My kid has known it's me for a long time.
He comes out and says, "MOM, don't forget to remind the *tooth fairy* about my tooth tonight." And then he puts a note on my mirror.
Your son will be fine.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.K.

answers from Appleton on

You are not alone in this I too have forgotten. At least you are lucky with modern technology you can set a reminder on your phone or computer, even a basic cell phone has a calender. If nothing else set the timer on your microwave to go off about an hour after the kids go to bed. When it goes off sneak in and do your tooth fairy thing.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.H.

answers from Dallas on

I would get him (or make) a special tooth fairy box, like a jewelry box, to leave by his bedside. Put the tooth in the box together before you say your last "Good night". A little ritual like that will likely help you remember. :)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.M.

answers from Boise on

When this has happened at our home, the Tooth Fairy includes a letter explaining that either a few other tooth fairies had the flu, or they are new the area and got lost or an array of different reasons. (in our believing, there are many different tooth fairies and they all leave letters and describe themselves and sign the letters). This always smoothed it over and it still works with my 6 yr. old when we forget.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.C.

answers from New York on

Try something like - remember Santa has one night to do it all but the tooth fairy delivers all year round. So she might have been extra busy last night. Ya know, little Johnny down the block, his mom said the same thing happened. But she came by the next day and left a note too saying how busy she was but she didn't forget you.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.M.

answers from St. Louis on

Didn't read the other responses, but I would get an envelope and put his name on it and tell your son you found it in the driveway on your way to/from work and tell him she must have dropped it. Or put it somewhere for him to find later - like under his bed or behind it - tell him she must have left it but it got shifted so that is why he didn't see/find it?

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions