Have a young person who loves children but who doesn’t see the point of math? Try walking them through some ways you use it when taking care of a baby!
- How Many Supplies to Get: How many diapers do you need a week if baby uses 5 a day (5 x 7 = 35)? How many jars of baby food if baby uses 2 a day (2 x 7 = 14)? Multiplication comes in handy when figuring out your shopping list.
- Costs: How much per diaper is diapers in bulk versus those in a smaller package (divide package cost by diapers in package)? If a baby dose is 2 mL, how many doses are in a 10 mL bottle (10 divided by 2 = 5)? Division aids in analyzing costs, as does comparing numbers (you’ll need to compare your results to see which is truly less expensive).
- Timing: When does baby need his next bottle if he eats every 3 hours and last had one at 9 am? How long of a nap did he get if he went down at 1:30 and woke at 2:45? Mommies and daddies have to do lots of mental time calculations as they care for baby.
- What Eaten: How many ounces of food is baby getting? Add up each amount they’ve had to find the total.
If you sit back and think hard enough, you might be surprised how much math you use in a day–even when carrying for little ones. Math applies outside of a textbook like this because God governs creation in a consistent fashion, and He gave us the ability to have dominion over it (Genesis 1:28). Whether that be in a science lab or changing diapers, math helps us with the tasks He’s given us to do.
I’m super excited about my new high school Consumer Math course, as it will help students see how they can use basic math in tons of different settings they’ll encounter as adults–and how to do so with the heart of one stewarding God’s resources, not pursuing money itself. We’re making the finishing touches on it now, so keep an eye for its release soon! (And keep the whole team in prayer as we complete it.)
I’m a sinner saved by grace through Jesus Christ. I’m also a writer—I’ve been writing ever since I could hold a pen. I… 
