October 03, 2011

MATH WOES





Math. My heads hurts thinking about the subject. Since I can’t excel past a 3rd grade level (I cheated of what would be the next 9 years of my school life) (Kidding~ maybe…)



When I was in Jr. High, I remember soliciting help for a math problem I couldn’t do. All of them were your typical story problems, until I came to one I could not do. I still remember the Math story problem which was—AND I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP—



Q: Why did the nomad put his tent on the stove?



Seriously. That was the question. Stumped, my friend Kari and I stared at each other and laughed. We flipped to the back of the book and raided the math answers. The answer?



It was 3! WHAT?!



If anyone can figure that out, I will crown you as Math Queen for Nomad Eternity.



So, math is not my subject of choice. My husband is on math patrol around here in helping the kids with their math homework. He’s smart. Book smart. And I’m…..well—so he was helping my 6th grader with some math homework.

 

Halfway through her homework, he started laughing. He then called me over and shared with me my daughter’s jewel of a math problem. A problem she did ALL. BY. HERSELF.

*GOLD STAR!*

 


Here’s the math question:

If you had a fraction strip folded into twelfths, what fractional lengths could you measure with a strip?

 

Her answer: Your thumb



“Your thumb?” I turn to look at her.

“Your thumb is at least an inch!” she protested.


 
Uh…that’s not what it’s sayin. But what’s even funnier—I can TOTALLY see her reasoning in how she answered that problem. Which makes me laugh harder.



Second part of the problem, part B:


How is your answer in part (a) related to the factors of 12?



Her answer: Because they are.


 

Oh, Math. Why must you confuse and complicate so many?
I guess the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree.



 

7 comments:

Jesmyluk said...

Thank goodness I am not the only Math Challenged parent out there!!! Seriously!! Math was not my subject! English, Biology, History, even French class I rocked! But Math (in any form & Chemistry) were not on speaking terms with my brain!

I LOVE your daughters answers! Classic!! I think she deserves a Gold Medal too!! Thank you for the laugh! I needed one!

MommyMert said...

haha.... good ol days. I remember that one too. LAME!~

Alice said...

hahahaha aunt lori im terrible at math! but no worries my mommy is worse at it then me, behold:

dad: ok so 5x5 is?

mom: 10!! (says so enthusiastically she may fall off her bed)

dad: no....try again

my puzzled mother replys: uh-huh its 10 see its 5 times fi..........shud up......

AND

dad: austin whats 5x5? (no this did NOT happen the same time my mother answered hers, this was a completely different time)

Austin: 10 daddy! 10!

dad: -about to correct him when mother appears in the bedroom door and is squealing with delight-

mom: ALRIGHT AUSTINATOR!!!! WAY TO GO!!!

dad:.....no its wrong....

mom:woot woooooowhat? no its 5 times 5 see and five times fiv......shud up! -toddles away pouting and returns to getting ready for the day-

Rachel Sue said...

I am so lucky. My husband went to school to be a math teacher so once the kids hit anything harder than multiplying single digits, I can turn them over to him.

Otherwise they would be in big trouble.

Kayli Sue said...

Math is bleh! When I think about going back to school I totally kick mylself for not getting all my math out of the way.

BrittanyLane said...

Oh man, I hear ya. My 2nd grader came home with some "new math" addition problems yesterday, and I could NOT figure them out. We had to look up the solutions on the internet. It's ridiculous. It took two of us with advanced college degrees to solve a second grader's math problem. Nice.

givemommythesuperglue said...

I guess I am odd man out-math was my favorite subject! I love math!