A reminder of why I hate math! :)

My son Zachary, who is in the 3rd grade, started learning his times tables last week. They started with the 11s and 10s and are now on the 9s and 8s. As I am helping him study his flash cards, I remember how much I HATE math. Always have and I always will :) I didn't have trouble with my math facts.... just had trouble understanding that, in life , why does it really matter what the "value of 'x' is" ... my math teachers could never answer that question without the look of anger in their eyes, and never gave me an answer that suited me, so since, in life, it doesn't matter what the value of "x" is, I don't have to learn it. :) (Most teachers thought that I was trying to be a smart aleck when I asked that question.... but I really wanted to know)

Because of my struggles with math, I am being really hard on my son when it comes to math. When I was a kid, I hated math so much, that I neglected to learn some early math principles and then, had trouble when it came to algebra. So, I am forcing him to KNOW how to do math, whether he likes it or not. I told him that he doesn't have to like it, just know it. I don't want him to have the same struggles with it that I had. Who knows, while I am drilling and pounding these facts in his head, maybe I might learn something as well :)

I might even finally find out the answer to my question. Maybe Zach's teacher's will know ;)