You’ve sat beside your child at homework time, feeling your stomach clench as simple math problems become impossible mountains to climb, knowing they’re working ten times harder than their classmates just to keep up. You’ve watched them come home from school with that look—the one where the spark that used to light up their eyes has dimmed just a little more. That mixture of heartbreak and helplessness you feel isn’t weakness or overreaction—it’s your instincts telling you that something needs to change. And if you’ve spent late nights searching for answers while everyone else sleeps, wondering if you’re the only parent carrying this weight, I want you to know: you’re not alone, you’re not imagining it, and your fierce love for your child is exactly what they need most right now.
Embracing a Growth Mindset in Math Education
Math education often focuses on finding the one “right” answer, but what if we told you that there’s more to it than that? In reality, math is a journey of experimentation, perseverance, and growth. By embracing a growth mindset, we can help our children develop a deeper understanding of math and its applications. As Devon Lohed, a music producer, points out, “there kind of are no rules” in music, and the same can be said for math. By encouraging our children to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them, we can help them develop a more positive and resilient attitude towards math.
"What if we approached math education with the same mindset as a music producer? Embracing experimentation, taking risks, and learning from mistakes can help kids overcome math anxiety and develop problem-solving skills."
The Importance of Celebrating Small Wins
Celebrating small wins is a crucial aspect of math education. By acknowledging and celebrating our children’s progress, no matter how small, we can help build their confidence and motivation. As Vanessa, the host of Math Therapy, points out, “excitement over small wins goes the longest way.” By focusing on the process rather than just the end result, we can help our children develop a growth mindset and a love for learning. This approach can also help to reduce math anxiety and make math more enjoyable for our children.
For more information on how to build a growth mindset in math education, check out our article on Growth Mindset.
Embracing Experimentation and Risk-Taking in Math
Math education often emphasizes the importance of finding the “right” answer, but what if we told you that there’s more to it than that? In reality, math is a journey of experimentation, risk-taking, and learning from mistakes. By embracing this approach, we can help our children develop a deeper understanding of math and its applications. As Devon Lohed points out, “part of the fun of being in the studio is that there kind of are no rules… there can be best practices, but a lot of the fun is trying various things.” By encouraging our children to take risks and try new things, we can help them develop a more positive and resilient attitude towards math.
For more information on how to build a growth mindset in math education, check out our article on Logical Reasoning.
Key takeaways
- Embracing Experimentation: - Devon's approach to music production involves trying new things, taking risks, and learning from mistakes, which can be applied to math education to help kids overcome anxiety and develop problem-solving skills.
- Challenging the Notion of a Single Right Answer: - Devon's comment about math having only one right answer and one way to get there is a common misconception that can be limiting; in reality, math problems can have multiple solutions and approaches.
- The Importance of Perseverance and Resilience: - Both music production and math education require perseverance, resilience, and growth, and by fostering these skills in kids, we can help them develop a more positive and confident approach to math.
Building Resilience and Perseverance in Math Education
Math education often emphasizes the importance of finding the “right” answer, but what if we told you that there’s more to it than that? In reality, math is a journey of experimentation, perseverance, and growth. By embracing this approach, we can help our children develop a deeper understanding of math and its applications. As Devon Lohed points out, “sometimes I’ll have an idea or you know you or David will have an idea and it’s like okay let’s try it and then only by actually trying it we can realize that it was genius level idea or not that great of an idea.” By encouraging our children to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them, we can help them develop a more positive and resilient attitude towards math.
For more information on how to build a growth mindset in math education, check out our article on Problem Solving Skills.
Here’s what I believe with every fiber of my being: you don’t need anyone’s permission to help your own child. You don’t need to wait for school systems to finally notice what you’ve seen for years. You don’t need credentials or certification to be the most powerful teacher your child will ever have. The system may be designed to keep you waiting in the wings, feeling helpless while your child struggles—but that design can’t survive a parent who refuses to accept it. Your love, your instincts, and your daily presence are more powerful than any program, any label, or any expert assessment. And your child’s brain is capable of more growth than anyone who uses words like ‘can’t’ and ‘never’ would ever dare to imagine.
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