Hey dads (and moms), we’ve all been there, right?
Those moments when your little one has a meltdown in public, and you’re trying to figure out how to calm the storm without adding to the chaos—or leaving a lasting negative impression.
Well, what if I told you math could be your secret weapon?
Let me share this amazing story about a dad at Disneyland who used simple math to calm his child during a panic attack.
Photo by Elimende Inagella on Unsplash
“Well, I was at Disneyland this week with my family and my 9 y/o son and 6 y/o daughter really wanted to go on the big ferris wheel in California Adventures.
So we climb aboard and we start going up. It stops at about the 4 o’clock position and my girl says
“Is it going to go all the way to the top?” and I said yeah it was and we’d be able to see the whole park from there! She didn’t like that and started quietly sobbing into her Eva stuffie.
I told her it was gonna be ok, that we were safe, and she could keep her eyes closed if she wanted. She kept crying.
Then I remembered the math trick so I leaned down to her and asked “what’s 2+2?” She replied, hesitantly, “…4?” and I said “Yes! Great job. Ok, what’s 4+2” and she said, “…6?” I said “Correct! Ok, now what’s 6+4?”
By the second question she was no longer crying and by the 5th question she was actively engaged in working out the simple addition questions, adding single digits to each new answer.
We got all the way to 72 by the time the ride was over.”
Credit: u/Arkayb33
How the Math Trick Works
Yes, there is science behind the “math trick”, which I believe you can read for yourself here.
But here’s a sum up, when kids are overwhelmed with emotions like fear or frustration, their emotional brain takes over, making it hard for them to think clearly.
Simple math questions can shift their focus to the logical part of their brain, helping them calm down.
It also works as a great distraction, giving them something else to focus on instead of their big feelings.
And finally, when they get the answers right, it gives them a little win, and suddenly they’re feeling more in control.
How to Use the Math Trick
- Start with Simple Questions:
- Begin with basic, age-appropriate problems like addition or subtraction.
- For younger kids (3–6), stick to counting or very simple sums like “What’s 1+1?”
- For older kids (7+), you can include multiplication or word problems.
- Adjust Based on the Situation:
- Use calm, encouraging tones to avoid adding pressure.
- Make it playful by adding a story (e.g., “Imagine you have 2 apples and I give you 2 more. How many do you have now?”).
- Build Momentum
- Gradually increase the difficulty of the questions to keep them engaged without overwhelming them.
If Your Kids Just Do Not Like Math
If you’re thinking about using problem-solving to calm your child but not using math, here are some simple and friendly ideas to try. Keep it light and fun so it doesn’t feel like work!
- What’s the first letter of your name?
- What’s your favorite animal?
- How many trees do you see around us?
- What’s the first thing we’ll do when we get home?
- If you could choose between pizza or ice cream for dinner, which would it be?
- If we could eat one type of candy forever, what would it be?
- I’m thinking of an animal that has stripes and roars. What is it?
- If you could build the coolest playground, what would it look like?
- Ask about their body parts like: “Where’s your nose? Can you touch it?”/ “Can you wiggle your fingers? How many can you wiggle at once?”