But these things can change!

‘Can you write some sums for me, Mummy?’ said her son to Gill, one of the mums on a recent #MathsForParents course I was running.

We normally start each session sharing what has gone on between sessions and Gill confided that before doing the course, this sort of request would have filled her with dread. She would have begun to panic and she would not have known what to do.

But now she did know what to do! Instead of feeling dread, Gill was so delighted that her son had asked her.

In the sessions we had talked about simple things parents can do to help their child with maths, and the things we had discussed in the sessions came to mind and Gill creatively knew what to do.

Gill’s feelings are quite common. Many parents dread their children asking them about maths. A recent survey, which was part of National Numeracy’s Parental Engagement Project, found that 30% of parents said that doing maths made them unhappy.

The good news is… But these things can change, as Gill’s story shows.

I am so pleased! I can’t wait to hear back more of what has happened.

Both of my Help Your Child With Numeracy: Age Range 3-7, and, Help Your Child With Numeracy: Age Range 7-11, books have many suggestions on how to use everyday situations to help your child.

The second edition of Help Your Child With Numeracy: Age Range 3-7, is about to be published. I will keep you posted about when it is available.