My child's toughest assignment question so far
By Fulltank
@Fulltank (2882)
Philippines
October 27, 2009 11:34pm CST
Last night, my 4th grader daughter approached me and ask what the answer for her assignment."Dad, whats the square root of 945?" she said. "Wait a second." I replied. As I am using my computer at that moment, I just open the calculator program and inputed 945 and the answer pop-up in a click of the button. So I said, " its 30.74, anything else?". Her next question was a shock to me. "Whats the solution?, How did you arrived on that answer?"
Damn, I really forgot how to do it manually (the long method). It took me another 30 minutes to search the net and re-educate myself on how to do it. And spent the next one hour teaching her how to solve it. I really don't have problems with math problems, but sometimes my basic knowledge in it was stuck-up and deeply hidden inside the nerves of my brains. My consolation is that, my daughter had no difficulty with Math and is easy to teach.
I'm really am not smarter than a 4th grader. Have you encountered such difficulties with your children's assignments?
2 people like this
8 responses
@maezee (41988)
• United States
28 Oct 09
Well, my little sister is only in 2nd grade, so thankfully, no, her math skills have not outsmarted mine quite yet (as she's still in addition & subtraction right now! Thankfully I know THAT much anyway). But pretty soon here, in the next few years, I'm sure her math skills will far bypass my own, which are pretty bad to begin with. Not to mention that so much of what we learned to do manually, you can now do on a calculator. In fact, in high school, when I was in my IB math classes - they would teach us the HARD way to do something FIRST - and then afterwards teach us a super-easy shortcut to do it on our graphing calculators. Of course everyone forgot the long-hand ways of doing it after we discovered there was a way to quickly do it on the calculator, with just a few buttons to push. It's amazing how simple equations and whatnot are on calculators, rather than on paper. Wow.
1 person likes this
@Fulltank (2882)
• Philippines
28 Oct 09
wait till you hear a hard one. Math subjects curriculum's always teaches the long method first, thats why most don't like it. Have forgotten some of them and the one above completely shock me. Still I'm hoping for her next tough one and hoping that it would not be the same moment as this one.
1 person likes this
@cheriezhao (246)
• China
28 Oct 09
yeah,when i was college,i found a tutor as my part-time job,she was a smart girl who was in primary school,one day she asked me a question just like your daughter asked,and then i gave her my answer quickly,but she continued to ask why's that answer,i just didn't know how to answer her,i forgot the solution,just remeber the result,lol,is it a kind of fixed mindset,maybe!
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38117)
• Philippines
29 Oct 09
Yup that is really true we tend to forget the most basic things in our younger years. I too have that difficulty teaching my son with his science subject when he asks me about scientific terms I do know the theory behind but I could not recall the exact terms and definition use to explain the theory.
@rsa101 (38117)
• Philippines
29 Oct 09
Haha well I am not yet concerned about that since he is just seven years old so I think by the time that he reaches that age I hope he would be an independent boy already to figure things out for himself. Although Iwould help in whatever I could do to help him out if in case that happens.
@Fulltank (2882)
• Philippines
29 Oct 09
Now I had to check my children's books and scroll the pages to see what other lessons that I need to re-educate myself into. Had to be prepare ourselves too. Waiting for the Science question though especially on the long scientific formula and chemical symbols. Hope my wife knows about it as I'm not good of memorizing long chemical formula.lol
1 person likes this
@jessi0887 (2788)
• United States
28 Oct 09
I haven't had to do it for my own yet but have for my sister. I graduate nearly five years ago. But could use a touch up on my math skills. My sister looks up to me and always is asking for help with math. And if i can't answer her problem then i tell her to hand me her text book and i read that hold chapter just to help her. Only had to read it twice. LOL!
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
28 Oct 09
Not yet... My son is only 3 years, but I think I will be facing what you are facing righ now soon...
Those lessons are long forgotten... hahaha well it is a good recap though. Happy learning Fulltank! 
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
29 Oct 09
Well I think I will enjoy my time now while it last... Yes I know time runs really fast Fulltank...
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
28 Oct 09
hi Fulltank My son is full grown now,but I was so lucky with
him, as math was his specialty it seemed like. The only help
he ever needed was with spelling and I was always a whiz at
that. Math is not my best subject by far. So if my son did
have a math problem I sent him to his dad.But that happened
rarely as math was one subject my son never had any problems
with at all.
@Baluyadav (3643)
• India
28 Oct 09
Hi,full,yes,why not,this type of situation is becoming common in every body's family.It is too bad in the case of where parents are uneducated in villages..
well,me too faced few times that too in maths only.As i am a science graduate ,i can tell biology up to some extent,but in case of maths ..nightmare to me.So i found a solution that i slowly divert them to their mother to solve and clarify their doubt.
GREAT ESCAPE.
Have a nice time and happy mylotting. 
