Is this considered to be "keeping up with the Joneses"?

[starrzone]

Erased

 

[GoodFairies]

If I'd have known I'd be getting $10 a tooth at that age, I'd have been ramming my face into whatever was at mouth level.

 

[Rora]

If I'd have known I'd be getting $10 a tooth at that age, I'd have been ramming my face into whatever was at mouth level.

Agreed.

Wow, I'm pretty sure I only ever got a $1, maybe less.

His reason is ridiculous and if everyone else's kids get that much, there's something wrong with our society- donate that money or something!!

 

[AlternateEgo]

DD gets $1 a tooth and sometimes a toothbrush

 

[SNylund]

If I'd have known I'd be getting $10 a tooth at that age, I'd have been ramming my face into whatever was at mouth level.

For me, I could care less what others are doing, I bust my rear to make extra money so me and mine can live the best possible most luxurious and comfortable life style that we can but its just because that's the way I want it, it has absolutely nothing to do with the joneses or any other neighbor or person. Its just the way I like it. All my friends have horrible jobs anyway, so its not even an issue for me.

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

Well, I will admit that dd got $20 for her first tooth. She got her teeth later than most and started losing them later than most. She was so excited when she finally lost it.

I truly was not expecting it to fall out so soon. The toothfairy only had a $20 bill on her the night dd lost her tooth. So dd got the $20 along with a nice note from the toothfairy explaining that this was extra special since dd had waited so long but in the future it would only be $1/tooth.

This got me into trouble with a lot of my friends but luckily thier kids had already lost many teeth.

As far as giving dd more than $1 because other kids are getting more... not gonna happen. I tell dd if she wants what other kids have in terms of keeping up with them then she has to earn it!

 

[DisneyMom81]

I know someone whose kids (6 & 7) get $5 from their mother for each tooth they lose, and he matches that amount (so $10/tooth). I told him that this seems a bit high to me, and he responded with something along the lines of "Well, that's what all the other kids are getting and mine would feel left out if they didn't get it". This is the same man who told me that he and his ex got into debt because they bought too much, too soon (furniture, new car, etc.) to "keep up with the Joneses".

I think that doing something JUST because "all the other kids get that much" is just wrong. It's not so much the money; the kids put the bulk of it into a bank account which I assume will be used for college or something similar. Doesn't that teach them that they should get something just so they won't feel left out? Will they then come to "expect" things that other kids have, even if their mother and/or father can't afford it (i.e. "Jane has a cell phone", "Sam has an IPod Touch)? Isn't that sort of what got their parents in trouble financially in the first place? I don't know..what do you all think? I might be a bit jaded because my father is a retired accountant and drilled money management into my head from the time I was old enough to know what money was...

If there not my kids, I wouldn't really care. people do whatever they want now-a-days.

 

[Stitchnut]

WOW! $10.00 a tooth is a lot. I'm married to a CPA who would croak if I left that much under my child's pillow. Sorry, even $5.00 is too much for a tooth. In the words of "Junie B. Jones" (a character from a book series) "Wowie-Wow-Wow."

 

[NMAmy]

I guess my question would be--do his kids believe in the Tooth Fairy? Although there often differences in what Santa brings kids and I found a way to explain that, I know that with the Tooth Fairy, I asked other parents what the going rate was. I mean, what do I know, I got a quarter. It's hard to explain why the Tooth Fairy would bring a kid a dollar when she left the neighbor kid $5 without ruining the magic, kwim? I've never heard of "matching" the Tooth Fairy and would never have done that myself and that could easily be explained.

I think there's a big difference between the Tooth Fairy and begging for an iPod because all the other kids have one. I had no problem explaining to dd that we couldn't always afford what other kids were getting but it's harder to explain a sliding fee from a fairy.

Now, if the kids know the mom is giving them the money, then I retract my statement.

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

....but it's harder to explain a sliding fee from a fairy.

Good line! Very true... but also very funny.

 

[momof1princess]

geez, DD got $5 for her first tooth, and $1 per tooth thereafter (sometimes $2 if it was a bigger tooth and mommy & daddy were feeling generous). at $10 per tooth, DD would be yanking out permanent teeth with pliers!

 

[Minnesota!]

Well my son lost his first tooth a little over a week ago. I knew it was loose but not THAT loose. Tooth fairy only had a $10 on her that night. YIKES.

However, he has 4 additional wiggly ones and I have warned him the tooth fairy only carries $1 bills after the first one!

I couldn't care less what "everyone else" is doing. I do what I feel is best for my family, my kids, myself. If we are happy....it's all that matters.

 

[okeydokey]

$2 for the first and $1 for all teeth after that. The tooth fairy is also notoriously forgetful in my house so sometimes they have to wait a few days for the dollar.

 

[diznygirl]

Well, I will admit that dd got $20 for her first tooth. She got her teeth later than most and started losing them later than most. She was so excited when she finally lost it.

I truly was not expecting it to fall out so soon. The toothfairy only had a $20 bill on her the night dd lost her tooth. So dd got the $20 along with a nice note from the toothfairy explaining that this was extra special since dd had waited so long but in the future it would only be $1/tooth.

This got me into trouble with a lot of my friends but luckily thier kids had already lost many teeth.

As far as giving dd more than $1 because other kids are getting more... not gonna happen. I tell dd if she wants what other kids have in terms of keeping up with them then she has to earn it!

Well my son lost his first tooth a little over a week ago. I knew it was loose but not THAT loose. Tooth fairy only had a $10 on her that night. YIKES.

However, he has 4 additional wiggly ones and I have warned him the tooth fairy only carries $1 bills after the first one!

I couldn't care less what "everyone else" is doing. I do what I feel is best for my family, my kids, myself. If we are happy....it's all that matters.

This was almost us. DS had his first tooth fall out on a Saturday during a birthday party. A special late night trip to the store to break the $20 was made. Now we have a stash for all additional teeth.


I understand that in the case of the tooth fairy, it's hard to explain why one person gets more than the other. That's the only reason I can see for upping what you give. I wouldn't call it Keeping up the Jones, though. Unless that's the tooth fairy's last name.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

OK, I could see where he was giving that amount so it would appear that the tooth fairy is real.

I think that is seperate from their other spending habits.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Perhaps the woman is Nene from Real Housewives of Atlanta....and they are The Jones's

 

[luvmy3]

I could see giving your child $5 so they don't question why they only got a buck when everybody else got 5 from the tooth fairy. However, I don't see the need to match it just because every other parent does. To each his own, though.

 

[Handbag Lady]

JEEZE! All I got was a quarter a tooth.



Here's a funny story. I was at Disneyland with some out-of-town friends for one of her kids' birthdays. At her birthday dinner late in the evening at Storytellers, the birthday girl's loose tooth pops out. They are going from the dinner straight to their hotel. Birthday girls says something really cute like, "OOh, I wonder if Mickey and the Tooth Fairy know each other?"

The mom and I look at each other. We have no small bills. Dad has nothing smaller than a $20, either. We rush to the Grand's check-in desk and plead for a Disney Dollar while dad has decided to take the kids on a walk around at the lobby. They don't have any. Hilarity ensues and Disney comes through and finds us one. Whew!

The next morning, the toothless wonder is thrilled that she was right, Mickey and the Tooth Fairy DO know each other?

 

[Nik's Mom]

$10 for losing a tooth! Wow! My kids only get $1 and they are thrilled with that.

 

[EthansMom]

Yes, that's a case of "keeping up with the Joneses". Some of DS8's friends get waaay more than $10 a tooth (videogames, for instance). Our tooth fairy gives $5 a tooth, which is a bit high, but in my defense I couldn't find any locations where I could get $2 bills (I tried). And we can afford $5 a tooth, so whatever...

Wait 'till Christmas. Personally, I find the "what did you buy for your kids" threads highly entertaining. Folks who think nothing of dropping $1000+ per kid on presents because (1) "I like Christmas" and/or (2) "The tree looks pathetic without lots of presents". Oh, and the folks desperately trying to get *the most popular toy of the year*, not because little Suzy or Bobby really, really wants it but because every other kid is going to have it under their tree. Now, that is "keeping up with the Joneses"!