I remember when my daughter lost her first tooth. It was an exciting day! For weeks, we'd been waiting for, and wiggling, that little tooth. Finally, there it was, gleaming in the palm of her little outstretched hands (or maybe down the drain of the sink, if you have a child like mine). I knew that it was my job to make sure the tooth fairy rewarded my daughter for that precious tooth, so we started a little tradition that our children love. Here are the things we do to make that mommy moment extra special:

1. Make the note tooth-shaped!

Of course a tooth fairy would write her note on tooth-shaped paper, right? It's simple enough: Draw an outline of a tooth on perfect white paper, and cut it out. If you, like me, are artistically challenged, there's always the internet! Just Google "tooth outline images", and perfect little tooth shapes will come right up. Save one to your desktop, print it, and cut it out.

2. Write small

In our house, the tooth fairies are real fairies, which means they are tiny. Their little, tiny hands write with little, tiny handwriting.

3. Get creative!

Make it more than just a thank you note. Create a story about the fairy, where she lives and what she does. Give her a name. Make her a personal fairy just for that child, whose life revolves around your child's teeth. Tell your child what will be done with their tooth, and why it's the most special tooth in the world. My daughter's fairy, Flitter, was collecting this first tooth to put the final touch on the King Fairy's new castle. He was anxious to move in, so Flitter was very glad that my daughter's tooth finally fell out. Not only that, she was grateful that my daughter had kept the tooth clean and shiny so it could be used on the castle. Dirty teeth are not allowed, of course! (What motivation to brush future teeth!)

4. Make it fairy-ish

Add a bit of shiny glitter to your note, or use a glitter pen to write. Maybe throw some shiny confetti in with the dollar bill. Make it special any way you can think to do it.

5. Roll it up with a dollar bill inside

Because it was the first tooth, our daughter got a special bill (a $2) for a special tooth. Two dollars really brought a smile to her face!

6. Finally, tie a pretty bow using floss

! It's the perfect touch for a tooth fairy's special note.

Nothing will brighten your child's day more than finding this sweet surprise under their pillow, and nothing will brighten your day more than the big smile on your child's face upon discovering it. Good luck and enjoy this moment with your child!