) q5 L# j8 Z% L5 s9 aThe primary useful purpose of the tooth-fairy myth is probably to give children a small reward and something to look forward to when they lose a tooth, a process which they might otherwise find worrisome. It is fun for both parent and child. It also gives children a reason to give up a part of themselves that they may have grown attached to.# d& O2 e, ]. r* P
: H6 m1 x E# M l' ?! n& j7 l) ySome believe that other useful purposes include giving children a sense of faith in things unseen, believing in the incorporeal, and helping them understand the difference between the real and the imaginary.6 Z9 U0 H- u2 m; C1 Z