First impressions

[mareserinitatis]

I really struggle with the fact that the older child is a severe mathophobe. This makes no sense to me as both his dad and I are very mathematically inclined

Comments

[ext_93272]

My own experience growing up was a lot like this--I was very good at math but refused to like it because it was "boring". This didn't really change until I was in high school, but I think my experiences participating in MathCounts and other problem-solving competitions in junior high and elementary school helped crack the barrier a little bit. I don't know how old your son is right now, but perhaps you could encourage him to get involved with some kind of math team where he can try solving some trickier problems and have the competition aspect as a motivator. Just don't start saying to him, "I know someday you'll like math," like my mom did to me. I was a stubborn kid and this only made me more determined to dislike math.

[mareserinitatis]

He's almost 13. I have suggested it, but I get the same response, "But I don't like math!"

I think I have to be sneaky about it. Anything that blatantly suggests math is out.

I guess I'd just like to make sure he's got a good background so that he won't be held back or frustrated should he change his mind about what he wants to do. If he still wants to be a writer (which is what he says now), then I want him to have a good handle on logic and quantitative reasoning. I know there are a lot of people who don't necessarily believe it, but I think that both those abilities are pretty essential to good writing, too.

[pammalamma]

Maybe he's just a late bloomer, math-wise. I wasn't that good in math in high school, but kept with it for the sake of computer science and biology, so your plan could work. Surely, he can at least appreciate e = mc^2? Maybe you could use some sports examples to explain momentum in the form of p = mv? That equation explains why a bullet goes through your body if it's going fast, but bullets are a pain to insert into the victim manually.

[mareserinitatis]

I think he is. On our way home last night, we spent most of the car-ride listening to one of Feynman's lectures on gravitation. We'd listen for a bit, and then he'd get to a point where he'd turn it off and ask for more of an explanation. I even got him to write out a couple of equations, and I think he was really getting it. When he's naturally interested, that makes it a lot of fun. I just don't want him to be scared off by it. It seems like his experiences in school pertaining to math were so negative and got him turned off...so I feel like I have to trick him into realizing it can be fun. :-D

[pammalamma]

I forgot to ask, any further developments on your health situation? I've been worried about you.

[mareserinitatis]

I posted on that last night. Still chugging. :-)