A mom on TikTok is going viral after admitting what most parents secretly fear: the moment your child’s homework becomes too challenging to figure out.
TikToker @life.with.no.manual recently shared that she can no longer understand her six-year-old daughter’s math homework, so she had to reach out to her teacher and ask her for help.
“I just had to have an embarrassing conversation with Mackenzie’s teacher because at six years old, she’s now at the point where I don’t understand the homework that she’s doing anymore,” she said.
In the video, she zoomed in on her daughter’s worksheet and broke down one of the math problems. The problem was to add five plus seven.
The numbers were familiar, but the process wasn’t at all.
In order to get to the answer, the first step was to subtract seven from 10, which equals three. Then, subtract three from five to get two.
Ten plus two is 12, so that means five plus seven is 12.
Apparently, the purpose of doing math this way is to teach kids how to do mental math, making it easier for them in the future when they’re taking more advanced classes.
The video struck a nerve with parents and former elementary students everywhere. In the comments section, moms and dads alike admitted that they’ve had similar moments with “new math.”
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Many shared stories of secretly Googling explanations and watching tutorials. Some educators also chimed in to say that they don’t agree with Common Core concepts either.
“As a child who struggled with math growing up, this type of learning would’ve destroyed me, and I would’ve given up,” commented one user.
“When we come to that unit in first grade, I let the kids solve the basic problem. That is not a developmentally appropriate skill. I never send those homework pages home either. My goal is to get the kids fluent in math, not stress them and their parents at home,” stated another.
“This new math is crazy. I’ve spent hours on YouTube trying to figure out my kids’ homework, even in first grade. Last year, my daughter was having a difficult time adding and subtracting big numbers, and I taught her how to carry the one and wrote a note letting the teacher know I had no idea what the worksheet was trying to teach,” added a third.
At the end of the day, parenting isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about being willing to learn alongside your kids. There’s no shame in asking for help, even when it comes to first-grade level homework.
The transition to modern-day math can be tough for those who learned math in a very different way. If you need help deciphering your child’s homework, you’re definitely not alone.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
