Why Should You Care About Math?

President Obama announced a new Math and Science Initiative, alarming us that we are 21st in math among the 25 ranked industrial nations. Surprising and pathetic, is not it? Why should we care? Why is math important? First of all, it is the foundation for our technological progress. Everything, from medicine and space program to sports relies on math to analyze, simulate and improve. We are desperately fighting to be ahead in all these fields. Second, in the global, competitive world we live in, being 21st out of 25 means not getting the jobs we want. And nowadays almost every job utilizes math in some extent. Dentists play with computer models to simulate imperfections of our bite and new dumpster trucks come equipped with robotic arms.

Another reason is a pretty good lifestyle that math expertise may allow for. A recent CareerBuilder survey reported by CNN rated mathematician as the best career, taking into account income and stress, with mathematicians earning $94,960 on average in 2008. Fluency in the language of math may give your children not only the attractive financial comfort, it will help open the whole world for them. Math is a universal language you can speak and work with anywhere on Earth and in Space.

What can we, parents, do in order to help our kids get ahead of our poor 21st ranking? You can start by equipping them with the right attitude towards math. By presenting math to them as a toy, a tool and a friend. Something as hip and respectable as sports. Something exciting and important, worth working hard for.