Some children receive $100 bills and designer jewellery under their pillows as the tooth fairy has become more generous worldwide.
The US national average for a tooth fairy gift has risen from under $2 in 2001 to more than $6 in 2023, according to polling by Delta Dental, but some parents have revealed to The Wall Street Journal that they give even more extravagant gifts to their children.
Mark Burhenne, a former dentist who runs the AsktheDentist.com website, said that some children receive “cash, a video game, sometimes an iPhone” which he puts down to parents competing with each other.
Chidera Nig, who is from the UK, gave her daughter £60, a letter, a silver fairy necklace and a Louis Vuitton bracelet.
Ms Nig’s husband bought the designer piece when their daughter was born, and she said it felt like the correct time to gift it.
“That was her first baby tooth that she lost, and the process was uncomfortable for her, so we decided to give her the extra tooth fairy experience,” Ms Nig told the US publication.
“Childhood goes by so fast and we believe in cherishing every moment, celebrating milestones and creating long-lasting memories.”
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But generous gifts from the tooth fairy can lead to children comparing what they found under their pillows.
Natasha Evans from Cheshire said she gave her daughter three one-pound coins and two chocolate coins to share with her sister when she lost her first tooth.
But when daughter Rae told her classmates about her gifts, Ms Evans said: “I didn’t think about how that would unfold.
“The others were like, hang on – the tooth fairy didn’t bring us chocolate coins!”
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Ms Evans told the children the tooth fairy doesn’t normally do that and said she plans to stick to giving money going forward.
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But it’s not just the tooth fairy who has been hit by this kind of inflation – parents are celebrating more minor milestones in this way.
Global searches on Pinterest were up 100% for “potty-training rewards ideas”, 90% for “end-of-year school party ideas” and 40% for “my first tooth party” between September 2021 and August 2023, according to The Wall Street Journal.
