How do I motivate my child for maths?

What should you do if your child only brings home unsatisfactory grades in maths and loses interest in school? We show you how you can help as a parent.
Text: Fritz+Fränzi editorial team

Children learn at different speeds. This is particularly evident in maths. Whilst some children can keep up effortlessly and maths even becomes their favourite subject, others find it extremely difficult and develop a downright aversion to maths .

Once children have gaps, they lose motivation and soon feel like failures. They bring home unsatisfactory grades, which only serves to further fuel the downward spiral of dislike. This is not an easy situation for parents either.

Should we send our child to tutoring?

The mother in our video knows the issue well: «Our son regularly brings home unsatisfactory grades in maths. It stresses him out and he slowly loses his enjoyment of school». She and her husband are at a loss. «How can we help him? Should we study with him, organise a tutor for him or just trust that he will get back on track on his own?» she asks in the video.

How parents help with maths

As is so often the case with educational issues, the best place to start is with yourself: What is my attitude towards maths? Did I like this subject in my own school days or did I dread it?

«Statements such as «Everyone in our family is bad at maths» can encourage helplessness in the child,» say our learning experts Fabian Grolimund, Stefanie Rietzler and Lis Reusser in the article «6 tips: How parents can help with maths».

In our dossier «Maths anxiety» you will find numerous other tips as well as testimonials from teachers, parents and children. How do other parents deal with it? Let us inspire you. You are not alone with this topic!