Parent-Teacher Conferences

This is going to be my PSA for today.  I hope it helps everyone who reads this… If only I had known before it was too late…

Never let your AADD husband help your child with their homework.

Last Thursday I went to Parent-Teacher Conferences at Thomas’ school.  First of all, I love his teacher. She totally loves zombies and Star Wars.. Could there possibly be a better fit for Thomas??

She took me through the packet of work they give kids before these conferences to show their parents what they can do.   She was very pleasant and enthusiastic… Until she turned to the page full of addition problems… They were all marked wrong.  Every. Single. One.

It took me a while to register the issue at hand. All the red ink was blocking my consciousness.  It seemed like it took forever to happen, but it finally hit me.

1+1=11          1+8=18          7+7=77          4+7=47          9+9=99          5+8=58          2+2=22

The nano-second it clicked what he was doing I gasped!  Then I had to explain to her the following lovely story:

Last week at the dinner table we were having our nightly dinner table conversation which consists of Thomas throwing “Super Complex” addition equations at Matt and I and looking at us in awe as we are able to answer them right of the top of our heads.  (The problems he gives us may be easy, but it still makes you feel good to know that he thinks you’re a rocket scientist.)

Example: 

Thomas: “Ok.. What’s 100+100+100+100+100+1,000+50+9??”

Matt and I: “1,559” (In unison)

Thomas: (Trying not to act impressed but doing a terrible job) “Ok, what’s 100+500+800…”

Well on this particular day, Thomas decided to start easy.  Also on this particular day, Matt was more “AADDish” than usual and was getting bored with the game rather quickly.

Thomas: “What is 9+9?”

Matt: “99”

Me: (Slugging Matt in the arm and glaring at him) “No it’s not! It’s 18!”

Matt:  “No it’s not!! If you have one nine, and you add another nine, it’s clearly ninety-nine!”

Me: (I roll my eyes at my husband) “Thomas, don’t listen to your father.”

Oh he listened…

Thomas’ teacher gasped and giggled a little bit.

I assured her that I would be having a good long talk with my husband when I got home.

When I got home I told Thomas what a great job he was doing in school, then proceeded to show Matt what AWESOME work Thomas was doing from the little packet his teacher showed me.  I wish I had a camera when I had gotten to the page of interest.  You should have seen the look of “OH SHOOT!”  That came across Matt’s face.  I just smiled and asked him if he knew where Thomas could have picked up such an idea.  Then he explained to Thomas that he was kidding when he jokingly taught him wrong.

We haven’t had a problem with addition since.

Thomas however, is very disappointed his new easy method in ineffective and he has to go back to thinking through them.

Lesson Learned.