New Love: Bedtime Math

I recently had a chance to review Bedtime Math by Laura Overdeck.*  Honestly, the timing was perfect on this opportunity.  Marie was just saying how she doesn’t like math.

What?!

I mean she is only 7 years old.  I know there are studies that have talked about girls loosing interest in math at a young age, but 7 years old?!

I wasn’t sure how she was going to take to this book since she loves to read stories.  However, what makes this math book so great is the story that is read before any math questions are asked.  One of her favorite stories was about noodles.  There was a brief, funny story about cooking noodles and having them stick to the wall to determine if they are done.  The math questions were all about figuring out cooking times. 

I think the reason that this book has piqued Marie’s interest in math is the storytelling.  She cares about finding out the answers because she is interested in the story.  This is a far cry about two trains leaving the station at the same time, but at different speeds.  Or something like that.  I was too distracted since I was wondering where the trains were going, who was on the train, what was being served in the food cart, would it be like the train in White Christmas – you know, the important stuff.

What I also like about this book is there are different levels of questions so as she builds her math skills, she can still use the book.  Another great point about the concept of this math book – there is no “right” way to figure out the problem.  Marie is not confined by a certain method of math so she is thinking critically about the problem and figuring it out on her own.  How awesome is that?!

I love how she is totally interested in math now and even ask to read Bedtime Math in favor of her beloved chapter books.

To be truthful, I was always confused and overwhelmed with math (re: the paragraph where I don’t remember train story problems).  But I am hoping that with a resource like Bedtime Math, she will gain confidence in math because she truly likes figuring out problems.

I don’t often feel like a rock star mom, but this book makes me feel like I may be changing the course of Marie’s life as she sees herself as someone who not only likes math, but is good at it, too.

How do you get your child excited about something they think they don’t like?  Have you ever had to put your feelings of discomfort about a certain subject aside in order to help your child?

*I was given a copy of Bedtime Math to review, but these opinions are mine, all mine.

BlogHer13 Insight

Last year, when I returned from BlogHer, I lamented that I will not be going next year.  I felt burned out from the pace and energy of the conference.  I also didn’t know how it would work with moving.  Pretty early on, I made peace with the fact that I would not be attending the conference.

But then a strange turn of events occurred, and I ended up going with my friend, Emily, who knew of an early bird ticket for sale.  I was living at my parents’ house without a solid date for moving in to our new house. I didn’t know how it was all going to work out, but I took a leap of faith and just said yes.

At the Voices of the Year with Emily

I am so incredibly glad that I did. 

Before I left, I wrote about what I hoped to achieve at BlogHer.  I didn’t think of it as writing a wish list to the universe, but unbeknownst to me, the universe was listening.

I learned a lot of useful information about marketing and blogging.  But beyond that, I had a chance to really talk and connect with others.  Not just idle chit chat expected at a conference.  I had the kind of discussions that left me energized and focused and inspired.  Lately, I had been feeling dull; all of my energy has been funneling towards teaching and that, in and of itself, has made me feel insecure and unsure how to proceed as a mother and a blogger. I found clarity and a little more confidence in my choices . . .. thanks to the women that just happened to be sitting at my table. 

Loved these ladies from the Lean In Circle

Which is way more than I bargained for when I flippantly agreed to go to a conference I swore I wasn’t going to attend.

Oh, and this happened, too:

I met Sheryl Sandberg!

Can you believe that?!  I met Sheryl Sandberg.  You know, Sheryl who wrote Lean In.  I didn’t get a chance to tell how her book made me all teary-eyed as I am tiptoeing my way back into the work world.  I didn’t get a chance to tell her how her how relieved I was to read that boundaries do not hold you back in a career, they give you more focus on your personal definition of success.

However, when she came over to introduce herself, and I said, “Nice to meet you.  My name is Erin,” that somehow all that was conveyed in those two sentences.

I also had a chance to catch up with a great friend.  It is totally unfair that there is a whole continent getting in the way of us meeting for drinks and chatting like that all the time.  (Note: Annie, you were greatly missed).

Me with Elizabeth from Flourish in Progress

If I had to choose one word to describe my experience at BlogHer, it would be serendipitous.  And for that, I am grateful that I just listened to my instincts to just go.

Have you ever said yes to something without overthinking it and it turned out to be exactly what you needed?