Not knowing maths is not a badge of honour, is it?

[Fidoandacupoftea]

Over the years, some of my DDs classmates mums have mentioned that maths is beyond them, in a sort of 'boasting' manner, and the kids always get help from dads. I am not talking about dyspraxia or expect anyone to feel embarrassed about it. But surely it shouldn't be something to be proud of (not the right word I know), if we want to set examples for our DDs

Research shows that a girl's attitude and ability in mathematics is directly linked to the attitudes of her mother/significant female career. This isn't vague, unsubstantiated theory - Jo Boaler found that negative attitudes from a girl's mother have an instant and detrimental effect on confidence and capability. She argues strongly against the kind of thinking that suggests there are people who get it and those that don't. I've even heard teachers talk this way and it's awful. Even if you can't do your child's homework, start by saying 'show me what you think' or 'let's solve this together'. I'd hate the think this was wound up with the 'women are equal but not the same mindset'.

I agree OP and I hate it. Also "ooh I can't cope with technology" seems to be common among women my age (50's). You NEVER hear a man saying that.

Doramaybe** quite a lot in different jobs I have had.

This passed on attitude makes many of the students that I teach think it’s ok not to care as they’ll never use it in real life.

Maths teaches us to solve problems, to persevere, to try out and improve our own strategies. So useful!

I would think that most people use simple algebra in their daily lives.

Dora Agree no one needs more than the basics.
Certainly not the architects, or doctors, or programmers, or builders, or painters and decorators, or people setting up 4G transmitters, or oceanographers, or environmentalists, or economists, or politicans, or journalists.

I think it's self-deprecation as someone else mentioned, rather than boasting about being ignorant. I hear people all the time saying they're rubbish at something, I suppose to lower expectations and avoid looking silly if they make a mistake.

For example, I'm in a pub quiz team, and every single time we get a question on literature one of the chaps is straight in there reminding us how he doesn't know anything about it, only read one Shakespeare thing at school etc etc. But he actually knows a fair bit, he just sets out his stall so he doesn't feel pressured to come up with an answer.

I think it's embarrassing frankly! But then I live in the US where it's generally extremely aspirational. I have NEVER heard someone here boast about not being good at maths. Gosh, I'm embarrassed for the people saying this!

I'm utterly useless at maths. I'm not proud of that, just very frustrated. I struggled throughout school and dreaded times table practice. I just don't get maths. In senior school my maths teacher told me I was trying too hard to make sense of it. To this day, I don't know what he meant by that. I'd love to do a maths course but there never seem to be any where I live. I'm in awe of mathematicians. My friend's husband is a professor of maths and that's the kind of brain I'd love to have.

That's a separate discussion Dora. We don't really use our knowledge from history, geography, chemical equations or Shakespearen plays to name a few in our daily life.
Grace it not the not knowing it's making it sound cool that is unhelpful to girls

It might be easy to be blaise about maths but euler disagree to not have an Euclid about it.

Hungrydonkey you are right, apologies

I am rubbish at Maths, failed Maths GCSE a few times, my skills are nit there. I have taken City and Guilds functional maths. My basic maths skills are ok, but I will never understand Triganometry, Algebra etc.

Op do yiu want people to feel shame and embarrassed. I would rather people feel confident with themselves instead of embarrassment and shame. Funnily enough, I passed the Stats module of my BB Psychology degree, and Msc.

I'm shocking at maths.

I see no reason to hide this, and freely admit it if it's being spoken about. It will be my partner's task to help our daughter with maths when the time comes.

I don't give a shit how other people interpret my admission of this fact. I'm not ashamed of it, why should I be? We aren't all good at everything.

For some wacky reason I use algebra when I’m trying to scale quantities in a recipe up or down. I’m sure there must be an easier way but that’s how I do it.

And a couple of weeks ago I actually really used the Pythagorean theorem to work out how to cut a sheet of lining paper for a perfect right triangle when the tape measure wouldn’t fit into the third side. Got it dead right.

I have heard people say this a lot and it does annoy me, particularly when they say it in front of children. It's so negative, and I think it makes children think it's ok to give up if they are struggling with maths as they've heard adults say that it's hard.

I also hear people say similar about spelling but it doesn't grate on me in the same way. I don't know why.

I don't know all my times tables fully, thank god for calculators. My mental arithmetic is dreadful, I have dyscalculia, which makes it harder.

It's ridiculous. I tell students that it is important so you can measure things, work out prices in shops etc.

They look at me like I'm mad.

Oh I can use my phone or some one in the shop can do it for me.

They haven't learnt tables and can't tell the time on a normal clock. They are 16 +.

Some of it is learning difficulties but I believe some of it is laziness.

I know exactly what you mean OP. It is kind of similar to the pride some dads take in being unable to brush kids' hair and make a packed lunch. I am not great at maths but I make a decent stab at finding it interesting, and I would never say I am bad at it, as I have seen several girls who are perfectly fine at maths copy their mums in this exaggerated incompetence.

Unfortunately this is the ' it is feminine to be thick' attitude that should have gone in the 1950s. Utterly nauseating.

Mn promotes it too - no science topic, just 'geek stuff'.

I’m good at maths - much better than my husband who takes ages to calculate simple things like percentages and speed, distance time. The children are all very good at maths and most of the girls chose STEM /medicine degrees over arts. Only one linguist and she took Maths and Chemistry as part of her IB.
I think we do children a huge disservice telling them maths is hard rather than showing them maths and numbers are like games.

Oh I fucking love maths. This year I taught DS’s friend informally. She started off thinking she was shit at Maths and would loudly say so, probably to stop anybody else from saying it.

She then slowly gained more confidence. Watching her have eureka moments when she finally “got it” was better than .... well better than wine, chocolate and Ryan Gosling put together.

Aeroflot there are many guys who are rubbish at maths, they just don't say anything. As hoarding said our attitudes shape our DDs mindsets. It is sad that inspite of exceptional A Level results fewer girls choose STEM subjects

In spite of having an O' level in Maths and a more recent 'level 2' in it, I am really useless at it. I can work out what I have left once the bills are paid, but that is about my limit.

Due to bullying, I have had to pull DD out of school and am home educating her. There is no legal obligation to stick to the curriculum but I feel I would be letting her down it I didn't.

I have signed up for a website that provides both maths and English curriculum. We look at BBC bitesize first if we do not understand it, then go on to this website that records her results and charts her progress. She is doing well, in spite of my clear failings.

YANBU OP, not at all. No one would ever breezily say "I'm rubbish at reading, me". But not being able to do basic arithmetic is just blithely accepted.

Oh, I so agree with you OP!!! And the posts on this thread go further to prove your point... The other thing that gets me mad is the fact that people think maths is just arithmetic and that if you have a calculator you're sorted even if you never paid any attention in maths at school...