Wednesday, May 20, 2009

using math in real life with the Drunken Housewife

Nine year-old Iris uber Alles is supposed to be learning how to divide and multiply fractions. She admitted at dinner tonight that she doesn't understand it very well and, what's more, she doesn't want to understand it. It's a dumb thing that she has no interest in learning.

I cut that off. "It's really important to understand percentages and fractions in real life!" I cast about briefly for an example, and then plunged on. "In cooking, when I double or triple a recipe, I have to be able to multiply fractions. And if I cut a recipe in half, I need to divide the fractions."

Iris was silent for a bit. She didn't want to admit that I had a point, and she does love to cook. Then she turned to her father. "Remember the last time Mom-dude was trying to find an example of using math in real life, and all she could come up with was Warcraft? That when she's selling stuff on the auction house, she uses nines?" Iris shook her head at the idiocy of grown-ups and their math and their MMPORGs. "Warcraft! That was the best she could do!"

3 comments:

Mama G said...

Math was never my forte, so I'd have to side with your daughter on this. I've been able to function just fine without fine-tuned mathematical skills of any kind ... thanks to google! ;-)

Silliyak said...

If she wants to be a firefighter better knuckle down on the algebra.

Anonymous said...

I was never good at math (I took college Algebra about 19 times) but I hope that my kiddo "gets it" so that I don't have to help her with her homework. I will just end up making things worse!