The Mystery and Charm of the Tooth Fairy

Written by Nancy Wurtzel


Continued from page 1

YOU’VE GOT QUESTIONS, THE TOOTH FAIRY HAS ANSWERS While everyone seems to know aboutrepparttar Tooth Fairy, not everyone celebrates in exactlyrepparttar 111037 same manner. And, parents often have questions. Following are some common questions concerning this fantasy fairy who visits inrepparttar 111038 night and leaves presents and money.

Why did a fairy become associated with losing a baby tooth? Many old cultures markedrepparttar 111039 loss of a child’s baby or milk teeth. Some ancient cultures placedrepparttar 111040 lost tooth in a tree or threw it torepparttar 111041 sun. Other rituals involved having an adult swallowrepparttar 111042 tooth or burn it.

Why isrepparttar 111043 Tooth Fairy so popular? The Tooth Fairy is a whimsical concept that helps both parent and child markrepparttar 111044 transition from infancy to childhood. It’s a rite of passage that is not attached to any religion or holiday, which accounts for its widespread celebration.

When doesrepparttar 111045 Tooth Fairy come to visit? Although it varies, children generally lose their first baby tooth betweenrepparttar 111046 ages of 5 and 7 years.

Why isrepparttar 111047 Tooth Fairy traditionally female? As a popular culture figure of relatively modern times,repparttar 111048 Tooth Fairy is usually depicted as a woman. However, some companies are now offering Tooth Fairy “Prince” style gifts forrepparttar 111049 boys to enjoy.

What doesrepparttar 111050 Tooth Fairy exchange forrepparttar 111051 child’s tooth? A generation ago,repparttar 111052 Tooth Fairy brought only a modest gift, perhaps a dime or a quarter. In very recent years, that amount has increased dramatically and children now receive Tooth Fairy gifts ranging from a dollar to five dollars to much more. Sometimesrepparttar 111053 monetary amount is considerably higher forrepparttar 111054 first tooth lost. Instead of cash, some parents opt for a gift. But money remainsrepparttar 111055 most popular choice.

Isrepparttar 111056 Tooth Fairy celebrated aroundrepparttar 111057 world? Throughout English-speaking and many European countries,repparttar 111058 Tooth Fairy tradition is widely known and practiced. Although in many cultures,repparttar 111059 first lost tooth isrepparttar 111060 only one recognized byrepparttar 111061 Tooth Fairy.

THE END OF A MAGICAL CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE Alas, a child’s belief inrepparttar 111062 Tooth Fairy is all too fleeting. Byrepparttar 111063 age of nine or ten, most children have stopped believing inrepparttar 111064 Tooth Fairy. Many kids, however, continue to play along with their parents because they enjoyrepparttar 111065 tradition and they like collectingrepparttar 111066 money! The last baby teeth are usually gone by age 12, andrepparttar 111067 Tooth Fairy ceases her visits.

What happens to allrepparttar 111068 teeth collected overrepparttar 111069 years byrepparttar 111070 Tooth Fairy? Some parents tell their children thatrepparttar 111071 teeth becomerepparttar 111072 countless shimmering stars inrepparttar 111073 sky. Others say thatrepparttar 111074 Tooth Fairy is building a fabulous castle for herself using all ofrepparttar 111075 “donated” teeth. Today, there are numerous books available aboutrepparttar 111076 Tooth Fairy that offer their own version of what happens torepparttar 111077 countless lost teeth.

Inrepparttar 111078 end,repparttar 111079 magic ofrepparttar 111080 Tooth Fairy is perpetuated by parents who make up their own stories and create their own rituals. This only adds torepparttar 111081 magical charm that we callrepparttar 111082 Tooth Fairy.

Nancy Wurtzel is the founder and owner of All About Baby, an ecommerce site located at http://www.allbaby.com. All About Baby specializes in personalized and memorable gifts for children as well as interesting and helpful child-related site content. Ms. Wurtzel has over 20 years of marketing and communications experience. She consults with small businesses seeking to enter the marketplace or grow their existing ecommerce business.


The Name Game: Tips For Picking the Best Baby Name

Written by Nancy Wurtzel


Continued from page 1

As an adult, just think how many times during an average week you give and spell your name. Do you want to give your child a name that he or she could really resent later?

If you absolutely love a name, but can’t toleraterepparttar nickname that often goes with it, then think twice.

For example, I have a friend who named her son Michael, even though she hatesrepparttar 111036 nickname, ‘Mikey’. Nowrepparttar 111037 mom spends far too much time and energy correcting kids, teachers and other parents who refer to him byrepparttar 111038 dreaded nickname. It’s just not worth it.

HAVE SOME BACK-UP CHOICES Since ultrasound tests are not always interpreted correctly, All About Baby recommends choosing names for both sexes. Even when you thinkrepparttar 111039 gender is a certainty, it is still a good idea to have a back up name. Why? Sometimesrepparttar 111040 name that seemed perfect during your pregnancy just isn’trepparttar 111041 right match whenrepparttar 111042 new baby finally arrives.

This actually happened to another mom that I know, who was having her second son, a boy. They learnedrepparttar 111043 sex ofrepparttar 111044 baby during pregnancy and planned for months to name their new son, Cameron Michael.

However, when I visited their home a few days afterrepparttar 111045 baby's birth, I learnedrepparttar 111046 parents had named him Matthew John. His mother’s explanation was that after his birth, they all realized ‘he just didn’t look like a Cameron.' And you know, she was right, he looked like a Matthew John!

PICK THE NAME THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOUR CHILD Everyone seems to have an opinion when it comes to baby names, and family members can be especially outspoken. While it’s fun to hear suggestions, especially duringrepparttar 111047 first part of your name search, keep in mind that ultimately your child’s name is your decision. It is impossible to make everyone happy.

Naming your infant is one ofrepparttar 111048 most important tasks you will ever undertake. A person’s name is truly a lifetime gift, and it helps define your child -- withinrepparttar 111049 family, to friends, at school and torepparttar 111050 outside world. If you considerrepparttar 111051 options carefully and select with love, you really can’t go wrong.

For a complete list of 20 Helpful Baby-Naming Tips as well as a wide variety of other interesting child-related content, visit http://www.allbaby.com.

Nancy Wurtzel is the founder and owner of All About Baby, an ecommerce site located at http://www.allbaby.com. All About Baby specializes in personalized and memorable gifts for children as well as interesting and helpful child-related site content. Ms. Wurtzel has over 20 years of marketing and communications experience. She consults with small businesses seeking to enter the marketplace or grow their existing ecommerce business.


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