Tooth fairy more likely to leave crisp bank notes under the pillow according to research by the Halifax

Parents say that, on average, children are extracting almost £10 (£9.71) from the famous mythical night-time visitor each time she appears.

Drilling down, leaving dads to negotiate with the Tooth Fairy is more lucrative for children, as they agree an average of £14.68 per tooth, compared to £4.50 for mums.

Generally, parents aged 35 to 44 can claim the crown for most extravagant when it comes to how much money is handed over, leaving their kids all of a flutter with £14.66, on average. However, the Tooth Fairy is not universal, as one in five (20%) of children are left with no cash (and less teeth).

Emma Abrahams, Head of Savings, Halifax, said: “Parents need to brace themselves for the financial fallout caused by the Tooth Fairy, who flies by with almost a tenner a tooth on average, according to our research.

“With the average weekly pocket money now £6.48, losing a tooth is more lucrative for some kids than doing their regular chores, and parents may want to use the Tooth Fairy’s visit as an opportunity to encourage kids to save a little of the money they earn from the sale.”

Tooth fairies in London (£13.29) and South East and East of England (£17.47) can polish their wings when it comes to the pounds under the pillows, with parents in these regions admitting their kids receive more than the national average. It’s a tale of two fairy stories however, with children in the North West, and East and West Midlands, receiving much less per tooth. (£4.62 and £3.03 respectively).

Overall, kids are filling their pockets with an average of just under £200 from the Tooth Fairy, as they lose around 20 milk teeth from the age of 5 or 61. This is enough money to buy 432 pots of play-doh2, 16 LOL surprise dolls3 or 66 fidget ‘poppet’ toys4.

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