What’s So Wrong With The Tooth Fairy?

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Written By Tina Dubinsky

Tina is an atheist who was born into a semi-religious family who went to church every other year. In another life, she's an astrophysicist.

My son lost his third tooth last night. He is six years old. When he went to bed, he put his loose tooth under his pillow expecting the tooth fairy to visit.

The tooth fairy but not Peter Pan

My husband and I are jointly raising our son to think for himself when it comes to superstition, holidays and festivities.

He is currently fond of five fantastical creatures- the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, the easter bunny, the man in the moon, the cleaning fairy and elves, because “Elves live in Ireland and Ireland’s real.”

I will admit to fostering the first five beliefs. As to the sixth one, I am really not sure where that came from, but I believe as he grows older he will eventually grow out of his childhood fantasies.

Boty with missing front teeth and tooth fairy money.

Gods are not real

While my son looks forward to Santa Claus and opening presents on the 25th of December each year, he does not believe in the Christian God, or any gods for that matter.

“Gods are not real,” he will tell me emphatically. I often hear my own voice  reflected in his anti-gods rhetoric when we discuss religions.

As an atheist, I have to ask myself, why do we encourage our child to continue with this belief in the tooth fairy? Is it wrong for us to foster it by putting coins under his pillow while he sleeps?

Is it just for the joy?

If I analyse this decision honestly, I have to admit to myself that part of the reason is because of the joy it brings to my son. The same joy I experienced at his age.

I love seeing his reaction when he finds things like the knocked over, empty glass of milk and biscuit crumbs that Santa leaves behind, the half eaten carrot the easter bunny forgets to take with him, and the coins he will discover beneath his pillow.

I am certain based on my own experience and that of other children and adults, that my son will one day grow out of these fantasies, possibly around the age of 7-9. If he doesn’t, I suppose I will encourage him as an adult, to seek professional help.

All jokes aside, I hope that either myself or his father or both of us will be there with him to answer his questions and to reflect fondly on his childhood memories.

Until that day comes I want him to be able to explore his imagination and enjoy the wonderment of the fantastical festivities that a child finds delightful and entertaining.

In the meantime, we’re going to keep putting his teeth under the pillow and seeing if the tooth fairy comes.

Do you have children? What beliefs, milestones or special days do you celebrate?

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