Wanted: Reliable Tooth Fairy

My kids are into fairies. They think there is a laundry fairy that magically shows up and washes all the clothes; a kitchen fairy that somehow comes up with three meals and two snacks a day; a refrigerator fairy that keeps it stocked; and a gas fairy that shows up every night and refills the tank.

Over the years, I've dispelled some of the fairy myths. I've explained that there isn't a fairy that shows up to clean the dried-up globs of toothpaste off the counter or replace the cap on the tube. Neither is there a fairy that keeps track of their video game cartridges or delivers their lunch to school. But no matter how hard I try, they still believe in many fairies. One critical fairy is the tooth fairy.

It has been confirmed, however, that our family has the world's worst Tooth Fairy. She has never been all that reliable, but lately it is really getting bad. The kids are very unhappy, and I've heard lots of grumbling from her. Most recently, she has even hinted at how many lost teeth will be honored, per child, per month....or perhaps a weekly limit per family. Who knew that the economy even affected the tooth fairy? Try explaining that to kids.