Most people will shun away from anything mathematically related. For some it can be severe enough to be labelled a mental disorder medically termed arithmophobia or numerophobia – fear of numbers. Recently I came face-to-face with the realization that my daughter actually needed help in dealing with the fear of big numbers.
Like everyone else, my daughter tends to enjoy things she is good at. And mathematics is not one of them. The going’s good if the math is simple; then she will say it’s her favorite subject 😁. A couple of months ago we were looking at numbers in their hundred thousands and she froze. I thought she was just playing, until my husband convinced me her fear was real. That is when I thought to look into the subject.
As a disclaimer I will not attempt to deal with this issue on a medical basis, because I am not qualified to. If there are any such concerns, the best course of action would be to seek professional help. I am writing simply of my experience as a homeschooling mum to other parents.
Possible reasons for arithmophobia
Bad experiences during childhood in Mathematics class cause this fear of numbers to some. They may have experienced humiliation, distress, harsh words or even a beating when their efforts in the subject did not reach the mark. To be honest, math is challenging to a sizeable number. As a result, they perpetuate the notion that math is hard-even impossible, thus projecting their fear onto others.
Yet for others the fear is specific to certain numbers such as 13. They will do all they can to avoid anything with that number. This is rooted in superstition, or sometimes a bad/traumatic experience on a certain day.
I will not attempt to dig for causes for my own daughter’s fear, but I can only speculate. Perhaps I was harsh with her when she got a problem wrong, or maybe she just wasn’t used to handling so many numbers. At the end of the day I decided I had to hold her hand as she was dealing with her fear of big numbers.
Ways to help your child cope with the fear of math
- Unfortunately or fortunately, you cannot avoid numbers or math, and therein lies the therapy: exposure. To help my daughter cope, I consciously show her that math is all around us and nothing to be scared of.
- To reduce this number numbness, I intentionally cover the numbers (for example in column addition/ subtraction) so she can deal with them one at a time.
- I make her little brother her protege, or I become her student and she the teacher. Once she sees she can walk me through numbers, correcting me along the way, her anxiety subsides.
- The biggest way that has brought back joy to math is games. We play Math wars, and Math-it. You feel less pressure when you don’t have to write down the answer in a blank workbook that is staring right back at you.
- Quality sleep is the answer to everything! Simple as it is, it is a very effective tool in dealing with the fear of big numbers. A lot happens during sleep, such as solving problems at a subconscious level, including math.
- Nutrient-dense foods eaten in the right amounts at the right time help in boosting brain power.
- Exercise AKA playing -preferably out in the sunshine and fresh air- does wonders in clearing cobwebs in the brain. It may appear counterproductive because studying more seems a better solution, but surprisingly it’s not so. Exercise reduces stress and enhances the mood so the child can focus better.
- Hydration; the pure and simple H2O, helps in working with numbers. Water gives the brain energy to function by increasing blood flow and oxygen, thereby boosting concentration, thought and memory processes.
Dealing with the fear of big numbers, or just numbers in general, can take some time and patience to overcome. Games, breaking the numbers into smaller numbers, sleep, exercise, hydration and the right nutrition are ways that can help reduce the stress that comes with dealing with math. Exposure therapy is the best because numbers, big or small, are unavoidable in life.
