Helping Your Child Overcome Math Anxiety: A Guide for Parents
Math can feel intimidating for many kids, and for some, it leads to a specific type of anxiety known as “math anxiety.” This is more than just feeling nervous about a test or frustrated with difficult homework. Kids with math anxiety often experience intense worry, negative self-talk, and even physical symptoms like a racing heart or upset stomach.
As a parent, you want to help your child build confidence in math rather than avoid it altogether. Here’s a guide to help you support them in managing math anxiety so they can approach math with a positive outlook and perform at their best.
Understand What Math Anxiety Is
Math anxiety is a type of performance anxiety triggered by math-related activities. This can affect kids in various ways: they might dread math class, avoid math homework, or feel so anxious that they struggle to focus during tests. In some cases, kids with math anxiety might even feel they’re “bad at math” and that no amount of effort can change that.
It’s important to remember that math anxiety is not the same as simply disliking math or not being good at it. Even children who are strong in other subjects may struggle with math anxiety, often due to negative experiences with math or unrealistic pressure to perform well.
When kids are anxious about math, they may feel like they’ll never succeed, which can create a cycle of avoidance and low confidence. This can affect their overall academic progress and even their career choices in the long run. Recognizing that math anxiety is real—and not just a lack of motivation or interest—is the first step toward helping your child.
Recognize the Signs of Math Anxiety
Kids often show their anxiety in different ways. Being aware of common signs can help you catch math anxiety early and intervene before it becomes overwhelming. Some common signs include:
- Avoidance
They may avoid doing math homework or practice problems or come up with excuses to skip math-related tasks.
- Physical symptoms
Headaches, stomachaches, sweating, or an increased heart rate may appear when faced with math.
- Negative self-talk
Statements like “I’m just bad at math,” “I’ll never get this,” or “I’m not smart enough” are common with math anxiety.
- Procrastination
Delaying math assignments or practicing math skills can indicate feelings of worry or fear.
- Low confidence in math-related activities
If you notice any of these behaviors, especially when they seem consistent with math-related tasks but not other subjects, your child might be struggling with math anxiety.
Normalize Their Feelings
When children feel anxious about math, they may worry they’re alone in feeling this way, which can make the anxiety worse. Reassure your child that many people experience math anxiety and that it’s okay to feel this way.
Talking openly about their feelings and giving them a safe space to express their fears can be incredibly helpful. Let them know that math anxiety is common and that it’s possible to overcome it.
You could share stories of people (yourself included, if applicable) who struggled with math but worked through it. Emphasizing that everyone can improve with practice and patience will help them feel less alone. Remind your child that being anxious about math doesn’t mean they’re bad at it or that they can’t succeed; it’s just a temporary hurdle that can be managed.
Create a Positive Learning Environment
A positive environment helps reduce anxiety by taking the focus off perfection and encouraging a growth mindset. This means helping your child believe they can improve their math skills with effort and practice. Encourage them to see mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures.
Here are some ways to foster a positive learning environment:
Focus on effort, not just results
Praise your child’s hard work and perseverance rather than only their grades. This shows them that improvement is more important than getting everything right.
Encourage problem-solving
If they get stuck on a problem, guide them to think through it without immediately giving them the answer. This helps them build resilience and confidence in tackling challenges.
Practice regularly
Consistency can make math less intimidating. Try setting aside a little time each day for math-related activities. Even games or practical activities like cooking (using measurements) can be helpful.
Use Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement can make a big difference for a child with math anxiety. Acknowledge their hard work and small wins along the way. For example, if they complete a math assignment without getting overly frustrated, or if they try a new strategy to solve a problem, celebrate those moments! Praise that focuses on their effort helps them feel good about working through difficult tasks and builds their confidence.
You can use small rewards or even a sticker chart for younger kids to encourage positive behavior and persistence with math. Over time, this type of reinforcement can help your child associate math with positive experiences rather than anxiety.
Use Tools to Support Their Learning
A variety of tools can help kids struggling with math anxiety. Consider resources like:
- Math apps and games
These often make learning math feel more like play and can help kids practice math concepts in a less intimidating way.
- Tutoring
Working with a tutor can provide extra support and individualized attention, which can help reduce anxiety and build confidence.
- Visual aids
For many children, math concepts can feel more concrete when they’re visualized with tools like graphs, charts, or manipulatives.
When choosing resources, try to find ones that your child finds engaging and enjoyable. This will make it easier for them to practice math in a stress-free setting, and they’ll be less likely to feel pressured by expectations or fear of failure.
Model a Positive Attitude Towards Math
Children often look to their parents for cues on how to respond to challenges. If you’ve had negative
experiences with math in the past, try to avoid expressing those feelings openly, as kids may internalize these attitudes.
Instead, model a positive and open attitude toward math. For instance, if your child is frustrated, you might say something like, “I know this is tough, but let’s try it together,” or “Mistakes help us learn, so it’s okay to get it wrong at first.”
When parents express that math can be interesting, useful, or even fun, kids are more likely to adopt a similar perspective. Keep in mind that your child doesn’t need to become a math enthusiast—they just need to feel that they’re capable and supported in learning it.
Teach Relaxation Techniques
Math anxiety can trigger a stress response, making it difficult for kids to focus and perform well. Teaching your child simple relaxation techniques, like deep breathing, can help them calm down and focus when they start to feel anxious. Here’s two techniques to try:
Deep breathing exercise
Teach your child to take a deep breath in, hold it for a few seconds, and then slowly breathe out. Repeat this a few times. Deep breathing can help slow down their heart rate and make them feel more in control.
Visualization
Have your child close their eyes and picture a relaxing place or something that makes them happy. Visualization can reduce stress and bring a sense of calm, helping them approach math with a clearer mind.
Encouraging your child to use these techniques before a math test or difficult assignment can make a big difference.
Get Extra Help if Needed
If math anxiety is significantly affecting your child’s well-being or academic performance, consider reaching out for additional support. As an online anxiety therapist who specializes in working with children, I can provide strategies to help manage anxiety and build resilience.
Additionally, math tutors who are skilled at working with anxious students can help your child build confidence in a safe, understanding environment.
Helping your child manage math anxiety takes patience and support, but the payoff can be life-changing. By creating a positive learning environment, encouraging a growth mindset, and providing the right tools, you can help them view math as something they can conquer rather than fear.
Remember, math is a skill that can be improved with practice, just like any other subject. With your guidance, your child can build confidence, overcome their fears, and maybe even learn to enjoy math along the way.
Begin Child Therapy in Chicago, Illinois and Florida!
If your child or teen is struggling with anxiety, there is hope! Anxiety is highly treatable and online anxiety treatment at Briefly Counseling can help.
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As an experienced and caring therapist, I love providing counseling for anxiety. To start your child’s counseling journey, call me at 224-236-2296 or email Helena@BrieflyCounseling.com to schedule a FREE 20-minute consultation.
Helena Madsen, MA, LCPC is the founder of Briefly Counseling. I specialize in providing online short-term anxiety treatment for kids and teens ages 7 – 18 as well as Christian counseling.
Whether you’re on the North Shore, in Naperville, Chicago, Champaign, Barrington, Libertyville, Glenview, or downstate Illinois, I can help.
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Schedule your appointment or consultation today. I look forward to working with your child to quickly and effectively help them in activating their strengths, resources, and resilience, in order to live with confidence and hope.
