How to Raise Your Kids to Love Maths (even if you don’t)

Maths is that subject that kids either really love, or makes kids and even adults want to rip their hair out. Whether we like it or not, maths extends beyond the classroom into everyday life and developing a strong understanding of the basics of mathematics will be an asset in your child’s development. 

You’ve probably heard the saying “I’m not a maths person.” It’s one of those self-fulfilling prophecies if you find your child repeating the mantra. In a 2007 National Institutes of Health Public Access Twin Study the results estimate that genes account for 32%-45% of mathematical skill at the age 10. [see our article here on how intelligence is inherited from our mothers] This means that 55% to 68% of mathematical skill must come from other factors such as an individual’s interest and effort. These studies prove that inborn talent has much less of an impact than hard-work and self-confidence in higher test results. So if you and your child aren’t “maths people” good news, you can learn to love it and excel at it! 

What makes maths so difficult to grasp? 

Math seems difficult because it takes a lot time and energy to fully comprehend abstract ideas. Abstraction in mathematics is the process of extracting the underlying essence of a mathematical concept and removing any dependence on real world objects and thus generalising the principal for wider applications. This does not come easy to many people, and it’s a skill we need to exercise to strengthen. 

Maths is a cumulative discipline, meaning you need to have a good grasp in one area to understand the next level of maths because the applications build upon each other. Prematurely moving beyond an area leads to a shaky foundation for the next curriculum, and fast-paced classroom environments don’t always have the time to slow down and review concepts with students before opening up the next chapter in the unit making some children feel left behind and discouraged. This is why maths homework and bringing maths into the home beyond the school curriculum is so important for giving your child the opportunity to excel at math. 

What can we do to help our children with maths?  

1. Change your attitude about maths

Children mimic our attitudes in all kinds of ways. If you’re a parent who is not fond of math, shift your attitude into a more positive one. We’ve established that statements like “I’m not a maths person” is a self-fulfilling prophecy, so try to refrain from saying it around your children even if you don’t feel particularly good about helping your child with maths. Think about it as something to work on together. 

2. Make it fun! 

Maths is everywhere in our day-to-day life. Encourage mind-math games such as adding up numbers on license plates as quickly as possible or try grocery-shop budgeting with your older children. If we can only spend $50 at the grocery shop today, how can we make sure everything in our basket comes to under $50 given our shopping list. Or do some baking together for a tasty lesson in maths! 

3. Get your child some Legos or other building toys

Lego or block play fosters a wide spread of skills including creativity, motor skills, spatial skills, problem-solving, and communication. When a child is building, they must analyse the parts in front of them, perceive how it fits into a whole and how the pieces fit together. 

For 3-5-year-olds, you can put together a model of three lego blocks and ask your child to recreate your design in order to exercise the importance of counting tips and placing the next part on the proper section of the lego blocks. There is substantial evidence that spatial skills can be improved through play, so kids who spend more free time playing with puzzles or building blocks have increased scoring results. 

4. Play online maths games! 

If you have a child who is a gamer at heart, encourage some maths themed games! This website has everything from sudoku puzzles, basketball multiplication, and RPGs using maths to make your way through the adventure. 

Here is a list of our favourite iPhone maths games for on the go entertainment. 

Monster Maths

(available for addition/ subtraction and multiplication/ division)

Quick Maths Jr.

(Intended for kids aged 3-7)

Tricky Test 2: Genius Brain

Lumosity

Brain training for adults) 

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What are some of your favourite maths games with you minis? 

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Best Plants to Grow to Teach Your Children How to Garden

Children are natural gardeners. They are curious, quick learners through hands-on experience, and love to get a little messy in the dirt. Gardening is a healthy and fun activity for all ages, but it's especially beneficial for kids. Gardening teaches a multitude of skills and fosters an appreciation for science and nature. 

Key findings suggest that when young children are participating in garden and greenhouse activities they are: (1) communicating their knowledge about the world to others, (2) conveying (and learning to process and manage) emotions, and (3) developing important skills (e.g., initiative, self-confidence, literacy, math, science skills) that will help them be more successful in school and better navigate the world. 

Benefits of Teaching your Children Gardening Includes:

1. Nurtures a sense of responsibility:

Without proper care, their plants will not grow. Gardening teaches them valuable life lessons at a young age. 

2. Reasoning and discovery skills:

Learning how to problem solve. discover science and nature of plants through research and real-life experiments. 

3. Self-confidence:

Gardening gives them the tools to grow their own food and achieve goals.

4. Love of nature:

Inspires awe and appreciation for the outdoors in a safe and pleasant environment.

5. Physical activity:

Gardening gets kids outdoors, using their hands to create.

6. Creativity:

Finding new and exciting ways to grow food and becoming inspired by nature.

Here are some of the best plants to start with kids:

1. Lettuce

Lettuce are quick and reliable crop with fast results. Lettuce likes party shady environments. Lettuce seeds will germinate in 7-10 days and the growing season is about 1-2 months.

2. Snow peas

can easily pick right off the vine and eat. 10 days to germinate and mature in about 2 months. They prefer cooler, partly shaded areas in the garden.

3. Sunflowers

Plant just a few 'confectionery' sunflower seeds (used for food), since sunflowers take up a lot of space in a garden. Their seeds can be dried and roasted for snacks. Be sure to save some seeds to grow the next season too. Sunflower seeds tend to sprout in a week and should be about 30 cm in a month. Harvest your sunflowers when their petals become dry and the green base of the sunflower head turns yellow to brown. 

4. Cherry tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes enjoy full sun, and if you can, purchase seedlings from the local grocery store rather than seed since they can be difficult to germinate. Plant a pole or a stake about 60 cm tall for the tomato vine to wrap around. Cherry tomatoes add vibrant colour to your garden, and they're a sweet, juicy treat! 

5. Potatoes

Potatoes are a versatile vegetable, and can be prepared in many tasty recipes. Red potatoes mature faster than white varieties. Cut seed potatoes into chunks with at least 2 'eyes' per and plant them about 35 cm apart with the eyes pointing to the sky and mound the soil up around the plant as it grows. It's ready for harvest when the plant collapses. 

6. Zucchini

Start these seeds in a small container indoors first. You can up-cycle egg cartons and plant the seeds in about 1 cm of soil. Keep the soil moist, and when you have a strong sprout with roots, you can transfer the egg carton directly into the soil outside. Make sure your soil is rich in nutrition, or you can add fertiliser to your soil. 

Other interesting plants to grow:

1. Avocado Pits

Wash your avocado seed and use 3 toothpicks to suspend it broad-end down in a glass of water covering about 2.5 cm of the seed. Place the glass in a warm place indoors out of direct sunlight and replenish the water as needed. You should see sprouts in about 2-6 weeks. 

2. Top of a pineapple

Once you bring your pineapple home and are about to cut it up into a snack, save the top to plant just about 3 cm below the leaves then remove some of the lowest leaves from the stalk and cut out the remaining fruit flesh. Plant in your garden or a decorative pot. Keep the plant soil moist until roots develop at around 6-8 weeks. Pineapple tops enjoy bright, indirect sunlight. 

3. Venus Fly Traps

Growing Venus Fly traps from seed can be a tricky, takes about a year, and requires special soil to germinate the seed. You can purchase Venus flytraps at almost any plant store and re-pot them in a terrarium. Place gravel below the soil to ensure proper drainage. Good air circulation is key for these plants and it's best to water with distilled water when caring for these plants because tap water tends to have too many minerals for this sensitive plant. They make for an interesting plant to add to your child's collection.

The fun thing about this plant, is that it actually eats bugs as it's a carnivorous plant! Fun fact: There are 54 species of these carnivorous plant in Australia. Learn how to feed your Venus fly trap here. 

Gardening teaches children about science and nutrition plus gives them a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. There are a variety of engaging activities in gardening your child can participate in such as buying seeds and equipment, planting, mulching, weeding, and cooking. 

Make sure your garden is a safe place. Store sharp tools away from child's reach, use suitable equipment, fences, gates, and paths for children to use. 

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