“Even I have learned my multiplication which I never ever thought I could!”
When I first read Candice’s message, I was so tickled for her family. But it wasn’t until we called her that I heard the full story.
“When I was doing a session with my son,” Candice told us, her voice still emotional at the memory, “I called my husband in tears saying, ‘I’m getting it! I’m getting my times tables!'”
The Secret So Many Parents Carry
Here’s something most homeschool moms won’t admit at the co-op meetup or the curriculum fair: they’re terrified of teaching math.
Oh, they’ll enthusiastically discuss their phonics program and their history curriculum. They’ll share book lists and field trip ideas all day long. But math? Math is different.
Because for so many of us, math was the place where WE felt dumb.
I can’t tell you how many messages we get that start the same way:
“I’m not good at math, but…”
“I’ve never been a math person, so…”
“Math was always my worst subject…”
And then they ask if they can still use MathHacked with their kids.
The answer is always YES. And here’s why…
My Own Little Secret
Remember when I told you about my French class epiphany? How I suddenly felt “dumb” for the first time and realized what all those struggling math kids had experienced?
Well, here’s what I didn’t tell you in that story: I was an honor student who tutored math in college, and I STILL used my fingers to count under the desk.
I just got really good at hiding it.
I’d wait until I could subtly count on my fingers below desk level, out of sight. Sometimes I’d excuse myself to the bathroom so I could use my fingers privately. I developed this elaborate system of tapping my pencil in patterns that corresponded to counting.
It’s kind of hilarious now, looking back. But at the time? I was so ashamed.
How could I be “good at math” when I couldn’t even add simple numbers without counting on my fingers? What if someone found out? What if they realized I was a fraud?
You're Not Alone (And You're Not Broken)
One of my friends told me her sister not only uses her fingers…she uses her TOES too! She actually has to take her shoes off sometimes to count!
We laughed about it, but here’s the thing: it’s not funny. It’s not because she’s “bad at math” or “not smart enough.”
It’s because she was taught using methods that create dependency instead of understanding.
Traditional math teaching gives kids external crutches (fingers, beads, counting blocks) and then wonders why they can’t figure things in their heads!
It’s like teaching someone to walk while they’re on crutches, then being surprised they can’t walk without them.
Why This Matters for YOUR Kids
When we designed MathHacked, one of the core principles was this: The child discovers they’re smart. The parent gets to be the hero.
Notice what we didn’t say? We didn’t say “the parent has to know all the answers” or “the parent has to be good at math.”
Because here’s the beautiful truth: you don’t need to be good at math to give your child a phenomenal math education.
What you need is:
– A system that works (we’ve got that)
– The ability to push play on a video (you’ve got that)
– 15 minutes a day to sit with your child (you can find that)
– The willingness to marvel at their brilliance (this is the easy part!)
What Happened When Candice Started
Candice started MathHacked with her son because she wanted HIM to feel confident in math. She didn’t want him to carry the same burden she’d carried her whole life.
But something unexpected happened.
As she went through the cards with him, following along with the videos, something started clicking in HER brain too. The patterns. The tricks. The way the numbers related to each other.
For the first time in her LIFE, she wasn’t memorizing. She was UNDERSTANDING.
And when that lightbulb went on—when she realized she could actually DO this, that the answers were making SENSE—she called her husband.
In tears.
“I’m getting it! I’m getting my times tables!”
The Gift of Learning Together
Here’s what I love most about Candice’s story: her son got to see his mom learn.
He got to witness that learning isn’t about being “smart” or “dumb.”
He got to see that it’s okay to not know something—and that the journey of discovering it is actually pretty amazing.
He got to see his mom’s face light up with the same joy he was experiencing.
And you know what that taught him? That learning is a lifelong adventure. That it’s never too late. That struggles don’t mean you’re broken—they just mean you haven’t found the right method yet.
You Can Do This
If you’re reading this and thinking, “But I really AM bad at math…”
Let me stop you right there.
You’re not bad at math. You just learned it badly.
And here’s the really good news: while you’re giving your child the gift of loving math, you might just give yourself the same gift.
You’ll learn alongside them. You’ll see the patterns you never saw before. You’ll experience those same “aha!” moments.
And maybe—just maybe—you’ll find yourself calling someone in tears too.
Happy tears.
Because you’re getting it.
“I’m not good at math, but…”
Stop right there. You don’t need to be. MathHacked was designed so that ANY parent can teach it—even if math was your worst subject. Especially if math was your worst subject.
Try it risk-free for 30 days. Learn alongside your child. Discover that maybe—just maybe—you’re smarter than you’ve always believed.
P.S. I’d love to hear your story. If math was hard for you growing up, feel free to message us at thegals@mathhacked.com. You’re not alone, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. Sometimes we just need a different approach. ❤️
