This is how much kids are getting from the tooth fairy these days
A quarter doesn't cut it any more
A quarter doesn't cut it any more
A quarter doesn't cut it any more
Every parent knows that once their kids hit a certain age and teeth start falling out, it's time to pay up. But many parents these days wonder if there is a "right" amount of money to leave under a child's pillow from the tooth fairy? Well, the answer might surprise you.
The conducted by Delta Dental recently revealed that a lost tooth now nets an average of $4.13, and that's down from last year's $4.66. This marked a departure from the poll's steady correlation with the stock markets.
“Most years, Ms. Fairy leaves a bit more under the pillow when the S&P 500 is up,” the . “However, her cold cash payouts couldn’t keep up with the hot stock markets this year.”
If four bucks sounds like a big jump from your childhood, you're not wrong. Another survey released by personal finance company last week told a similar story. Members of Generation Z receive an average of $3.25 per tooth, while millennials earned $2.13, Gen Xers got $1.39, and Baby Boomers scored a mere 69 cents.
The difference doesn't sound so big when adjusting for inflation, however. Baby Boomers actually got the best deal, with $5.77 in today's money, and Gen Xers getting $5.54, and millennials actually receiving the least with $3.72.
Don't worry about counting out exactly 13 quarters for your kid's next molar though. Approximately one third of parents still leave a dollar, by far the most popular amount in a .
That doesn't stop other families from handing out $5, $10, or even $20 for incisors, reports. Whatever number you land on, remember this: kids lose a whopping 20 teeth, so big payouts add up quickly.
And if you're wondering when this strange tradition developed in the first place, the origin of the tooth fairy actually only . The folklore may stem from the mouse mascot (La Petite Souris or Ratóncito Pérez) that performs the gift-for-tooth duties in many other countries around the world.
No matter who's doing the job (and let's face it — it's the parents!), the legend has stuck as a rite of passage that soothes kids, encourages oral hygiene and teaches a financial lesson all at the same time.