The Shocking Truths Behind Consumer Math
As you can probably tell from the title of this article, this is about teaching your child about consumer math. My eldest, Michael, is about to get the initial hard lesson about consumer math, because he has become a recently-employed member of society. I remember my first real paycheck, and I am afraid he is in for a bit of a shock, when he discovers how much of his money isn't his money after all! It is about this time that things begin to jell for young adults, such as why it is important to vote (because you may be able to keep a bit more of your money, depending on whom you have in office) and why the price of transportation is so important not only for us personally, but for the items our employers use as well. It is at this point that a young adult really becomes "of the world" and is no longer just a bystander in business.
It is essential to teach our children that mathematics has many different facets. Some is just rote practice, but some can help save your life or that of your family. We have taught the boys how to think about money from the beginning of when they could count, and there is always something new popping up in the world of consumer mathematics. It is important, even though we know as adults what a rip off is, we don't just ignore it, but explore it with our children. They need to know how to protect themselves when they are grown.
For example, we start early with our children, when we are grocery shopping. Even the younger children can understand when you say "Bananas are 33 cents a pound, but watermelon is only 12 cents a pound. The watermelon costs less than the bananas, so that is what we're going to buy today." Later on, you can begin to ask them, "Which is more, twelve cents or twenty cents?" Later, you can move on to "Which is more expensive, twelve cents per pound, or two cents an ounce". Of course, a chosen piece of fruit for the mathematician!
Later on, you can make nutrition training a part of your grocery store math. How much more Vitamin C can I get when I buy this product for 33 cents and ounce, than what is in that product for 50 cents an ounce? These are pretty complex computations for younger shoppers!
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