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

I cannot manipulate numbers in the same way that I can manipulate letters. It's like I don't really 'see' them. I struggled to get a B at GCSE. DH has maths A level. Therefore he will be assisting DD with her maths homework. I think it would be much more damaging her to see me struggle.

I say it in a "don't care" fashion because it caused me terrible anxiety and stress as a child. I probably have an undiagnosed learning difficulty. I couldn't tell the time till I was 19 and still struggle with the most basic maths despite being otherwise able.

So stop judging. It's a defence mechanism.

YANBU. I use maths in my job every day. Mostly stats, but if you want to understand multiple regression, you need logarithms and lots of algebra.

So op, we should be shamed of it and hide away. If a girl is poor at Maths, tgey are not going to choose STEM subjects. Unfortunately my dd 10, who has ASD, learning difficulties, and developmental delay, goes to a specialist school. She will never go to a university, or take an academic career. I will be happy if she lives an independent life and has a job she enjoys, whatever that may be. I don't want her to be ashamed as she is not as academic as others. I want her to be confident with whatever abi,I ties she has.

Ignorance of any subject is nothing to be proud of. But STEM subjects are massively over-valued by a philistine government that doesn't appreciate arts and humanities. And that bothers me far more tbh.

OK but for the general population the basics are fine agreed?

Who really needs to know algebra or Pythagorus? Where will that help in daily life really.

I was crap at maths but passed.

NEVER NEEDED anything other than adding, subtracting and multiplication.

I suspect that is the case for everyone unless they want to join math explicit employment.

I work in a maths field and I hear this all the time when I tell people what I do, but I do find guys are less likely to do the whole make a face, "I'm shit at maths", "I couldn't do that" type thing than women, sadly.

@Doramaybe I absolutely use algebra and calculus almost daily at work.

Maths rulez!

I’m really good at mental maths, can do a huge amount in my head, quickly - diameters, circumference, convert temperatures, all sorts, done before it is written down.

Makes me rubbish at explaining it to DD though tbh, for instance methods of division, I don’t remember how to do them because I do them in my head - so DH does do most of the helping.

I have a maths degree, DH has a physics PhD. I don’t remember much of my degree stuff which is 30 years ago, but it does come back if I read something relevant whereas DH lives and breathes it, always has done.

I have never come across this OP.

I'm dreading the days of maths homework when my DD is older. I struggled horribly with maths. I found learning to tell the time hard and fractions made me cry. I practically had a nervous breakdown over algebra. I really do not want to relive it all again via DD.

Aeroflot it's not something to embarrassed about equally it is not something to be proud of. Some ppl get it some pl don't but for goodness sake don't use the gender excuse, it creates a very unhealthy culture and mindset

Dora, an example of Pi in daily life - The Lego advent train thread in Christmas. I knew that the 24” track length would only give me a circle of about 8” diameter which means I need an extra pack of track pieces , important stuff.

My Maths is crap. I don't think it's anything to be proud of, it's just a fact. DH helps with Maths homework if needed, whereas I help with any literacy homework.
I'm awesome at English/Literacy, and a complete grammar and spelling pedant. So that's my forte.

Well I am terrible at Maths! I wish it wasn't the case! I didn't even pass my maths GCSE.

And I thought that in my adult life it wouldn't matter, then I had DS and have struggled with understanding his maths homework too. Not for want of trying...and actually, when I do learn something from helping DS with his maths homework, I do get a great sense of achievement. However, it doesn't stick and I don't really understand it. That is, I can do it if I am given the step by step instructions, but I don't get it as whole concept iykwim. And on the whole I just find it very frustrating.

DS, thankfully, is getting better at it and is needing my help less and less. He is no good at English because he is dyslexic, whereas I've always been good at English.

I've never boasted about it, I'm just honest about it. I tell DS he is better at maths than me because he is.

I suppose you also hate it when people say they have terrible handwriting. I have that too I'm afraid.

Research shows that a girl's attitude and ability in mathematics is directly linked to the attitudes of her mother/significant female career

I'm not surprised at this. I love maths and did A level - always regretted not doing it for my degree. I'd still love to do a maths degree now. DD2 is also doing maths A level and hoping to study Physics at uni next year. DD1 is doing performing arts so hasn't followed that path but did well at GCSE and is proud that she is competent in maths. Of course, it could be genetic, but I'm sure the fact that I modelled a love of maths and a determination that it was as much for girls as boys helped.

Want2beme I'd say the key to maths is to approach it like a puzzle game you're trying to solve, looking for patterns and trying to crack codes - rather than as something you can't do or don't 'get'. I wonder if when your teacher said you were trying too hard, that's what they meant. I think you have to play with maths to a certain extent to be good at it, relax with it, have fun with it. Everything you are taught in school is only something somebody discovered by playing around with it.

Dora Apart from the very long list I posted in response to your earlier comment?

And any adult who doesn't at least understand percentages and ratios is likely to find themselves in a sticky situation with respect to credit and cooking.

I agree it is the saying things in front of children like 'I was always rubbish at maths at school' which then makes the child feel it is acceptable.

Who really needs to know algebra or Pythagorus? Where will that help in daily life really.

Obviously, you've acknowledged that some people (including me) use maths in our jobs. But even if you don't, practical use in daily life is not the only criterion for being part of a school education.

After all I don't use Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" in my daily life, but I studied it at school. Except that maybe it introduced me to thinking about what makes a tyrant and what are legitimate ways to bring about political change.

I don't use Latin verbs in my daily life. But again, they introduced me to useful grammatical concepts (and a dash of etymology) that have helped my English over the years.

Pythagoras's theorem, solving equations, using coordinates to turn a function into a graph - these are all treasures of human civilisation and represent great intellectual achievements. Studying them expands the mind (of some, at least) to think in new ways and appreciate the scale of human thought.

Otherwise, we'd all still be hunter-gatherers on the African savanna.

It might be, to hide embarrassment, or lack of confidence, they are putting on a front. Then again not all men hide under their ego, some also admit freely, they cannot do certain subjects.

I'm astoundingly awful at maths op, and I find it embarrassing! nothing to boast about, very odd! I'm

I’m not good with maths and certainly don’t see it as being a badge of honour.

It’s embarrassing, and that is the root of my problem. When left alone I can muddle through, but when someone is waiting for an answer, or assessing, I freeze. In those moments I cannot do something as simple as finding 10% of a given number.

Barchester - this is an extremely common phenomenon in western culture, more particularly English speaking cultures. You are very lucky if you've never encountered this mindset, but if your maths is so good there is less chance of your DD picking up negative attitudes.
Dora - I don't get this attitude. By your reckoning we should all leave school with an elementary education level and wait to be randomly assigned to a job wherein we would be trained for our personalised 'everyday tasks'.

RefuseTheLies it got to the point (actually way beyond the point, I wish I'd done it sooner) where I had to say to the teacher, look, I don't get Maths, and I certainly can't teach it to DS if he doesn't understand something. And if he doesn't get it, then the homework won't get done I'm afraid. I have literally spent hours pulling my hair out over DS' maths homework. I look back now and I think, why?! Caused a lot of stress for both me and DS. Honestly, save yourself the bother and have that conversation with the teacher a lot earlier than I did.

Adora I am exactly tbe same. I muddle through. But under pressure, I crumble.