Ways You Can Help Your Children Beat Maths Phobia


Maths isn’t for everyone, but that doesn’t mean your children should have a permanent phobia of the subject. Math is essential for everyday life, and it’s important for your children to develop a healthy relationship with math from an early age. If you’re looking for ways to help your children beat math phobia, you’ve come to the right place. From creative approaches to gamifying math studies, this article will explore how you can help your children love math and look forward to studying it instead of dreading it.

Prevent Your Child’s Math Anxiety if Possible 

Math anxiety is a real thing, and it can have a significant impact on your child’s ability to succeed in school. However, there are things that you can do to help prevent your child from developing math anxiety in the first place. Here are some tips: 

1. Encourage your child to ask questions in class. It’s important for kids to feel like they can ask questions without feeling like they’re stupid. 

2. Help them understand that making mistakes is part of the learning process. We all make mistakes, and it’s okay! What’s important is that we learn from our mistakes. 

3. Make sure they are getting enough sleep and eating healthy meals. A tired or hungry brain is not going to be able to focus on math (or anything else, for that matter!). 

4. Find a tutor or teacher that your child feels comfortable with. If your child is struggling with a particular concept, it may be helpful to get some extra help outside of class. 

5. Encourage positive self-talk. It’s essential that your child believes in him or herself – tell them they can do it! 

Have a Positive Attitude toward Math

It is very important for parents to have a positive attitude toward math if they want their children to excel in the subject. There are a few things that parents can do to help their children develop a positive attitude toward math. 

1. Parents should try to be encouraging and praise their children when they see them doing well in math. This will help the child to feel good about themselves and their abilities, and encourage them to keep working hard.

2. Parents should make sure that they are providing their children with plenty of opportunities to practice math. This could be done through simple things such as helping them with their homework, or by playing mathematical games together. 

3. It is important for parents to avoid putting pressure on their children when it comes to math. Instead, they should focus on helping the child to enjoy learning and doing mathematics. If the child feels like they are being pressured, it is likely that they will develop negative feelings towards the subject. 

Demonstrate the Usefulness of Learning Math 

Many people believe that math is only useful for calculating numbers, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Math is a way of thinking that can be applied to any number of problems, both in everyday life and in more specialized fields. By encouraging your children to see the usefulness of learning math, you can help them overcome their math phobia and become confident in their abilities. 

Some ways you can demonstrate the usefulness of learning math to your children include:

1. Show them how math is used in everyday life. Point out how you use math when cooking, budgeting, shopping, etc. Explain that everyone uses math every day, whether they realize it or not.

2. Help them understand how math is used in their favorite hobbies or activities. Whether it's keeping track of scores in baseball or calculating distances when cycling, showing them how math is relevant to their interests can make it more relatable and less daunting. 

3. Share examples of people who have successful careers that require strong math skills. There are countless jobs out there that rely heavily on mathematics, so it's important for kids to see that it can lead to a rewarding career path. 

4. Encourage them to practice regularly. Like with anything else, practice makes perfect when it comes to mastering mathematical concepts. There are plenty of resources available online and in libraries that can help make learning and practicing fun for kids (and adults!). 

Practice with Your Child 

One way you can help your child overcome math phobia is by practicing with them at home. You can start by having your child complete simple math problems on a piece of paper or whiteboard. As they get more comfortable with solving problems, you can increase the difficulty of the problems. Encourage your child to take their time and to use any resources they need, such as a calculator or reference materials.

It's also important that you provide positive reinforcement as your child practices. Congratulate them when they solve a problem correctly and encourage them to keep trying if they make a mistake. Help them to see that making mistakes is part of the learning process and that they can learn from their mistakes. 

Finally, be sure to praise your child's efforts, even if they don't always get the correct answer. This will help them to feel more confident in their abilities and to persevere when faced with challenging problems.

Encourage Questions 

One way you can help your children beat math phobia is by encouraging them to ask questions. Let them know that there is no such thing as a dumb question when it comes to math. Encourage them to ask their teacher for help when they don't understand something. Also, encourage them to seek out resources outside of the classroom, such as books, websites, and apps, that can help them better understand the concepts they're struggling with. 

Make Math Fun 

Another way to help your children overcome math phobia is by making math fun. Play math-based games with them, such as card games, board games, and video games. Help them create a “math museum” where they can collect and display various objects that represent different mathematical concepts. Make up word problems for them to solve or have them help you come up with the solutions for real-world problems. Be creative! 

Set Realistic Goals

It is also important to set realistic math goals for your children. Set smaller goals that are achievable and encourage them when they reach those milestones. Don't expect too much of them, especially if they are just beginning to learn about math. This will help keep their spirits high and remind them that even small steps can lead to big achievements in the long run! 

Help Your Child Learn Math 

1. Encourage a Growth Mindset - Help your child understand that intelligence is not fixed. Just because they're struggling now doesn't mean they always will. With hard work and effort, they can improve their math skills. 

2. Find a Supportive Tutor or Class - If your child is really struggling, consider getting them some extra help outside of school. A tutor or specialized math class can make all the difference. 

3. Make It Fun - Math doesn't have to be boring! There are lots of fun games and activities that can help your child learn math concepts in a way that's engaging and enjoyable. 

4. Be Patient and Encouraging - Learning math can be tough, so it's important to be patient with your child and praise their efforts, even when they make mistakes.

Sameer Kumar
I graduated from IIT Kharagpur and have been teaching Physics and Maths to Engineering (IIT-JEE) and Medical (NEET) entrance examination aspirants for the last six years.