# No, no, no Seven is not even **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 24, 2024, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164 "2024-08-24T23:06:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/1 "2024-08-24T23:06:36Z")
Yes. Homework gets done on Saturday around here. So Sunday is fun-dayđŸŽ¶. The Mom’s were getting the kids settled into it. When the troublemaker (always her)Max needed help. The kids have these crappy tablets from the school to submit their weekend homework on. Max’s kept giving her an _incorrect_ and it couldn’t be submitted. She did it 3 times and then got “ask a parent for help” Back at the farm, the Lil’wrekker (thankfully does not have children) whizzed up some Daiquiris. Yep. Strawberry. A classic and a fave. Mom’s were on the deck giggling and sunbathing. So Max comes to me _Nana, she sez, this stupid thing won’t accept my math homework, it says ask a parent to help._ I tell her, good, go ask one. “I’m asking you. You’re a parent, says so in the name _grandparent_, anyway, Mom has a smoothie drink”. I say no, no, no Nana don’t do math. Says so in my name _NA-NA_ that’s another way to say no(teaching moment🙂). And I’m asleep. She was steadfast in her need of help. So as she wouldn’t shut up, I gave in. “What is the problem?” Man oh man, I hate math. She told me it was even and odd with number words. Oh, I can handle this, I’m thinking. This is Max tho’, gotta be cautious. It was a list of number words. Appeared to be One to Fifteen. She had one wrong. Seven. I said that’s odd. She said “I know it won’t accept my answer” I say, no sweetie, the number seven is an odd number. She, a little louder sez, “Nana, seven is _even_ says so right in its name.” How is this kid like this? I put my initials in the parent box. Left a comment to the teacher. “You explain this, I can’t” And hit _submit_. Got a hug and went to sleep. Adding: she will be 7yo on her birthday. That oughta be a fun day. Jeez! **Oh, and this is my 7th anniversary on the Dope. Odd, I know. 😂** ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/2 "2024-08-24T23:12:20Z")
Steven might or might not be even, but Seven is always odd. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/3 "2024-08-24T23:14:15Z")
Put six of anything on the table – six coins, six toothpicks, whatever. Explain that an “even” number of things means that they can be divided into two equal groups. Show how six things can be divided into two groups of three. Then put them back together and add a seventh. Ask her to divide it into two equal groups. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/4 "2024-08-24T23:15:02Z")
Aaaaacccckkk. Math
na na na na na. (That’s _no_ by the way) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/5 "2024-08-24T23:15:16Z")
Just remember, Beck, no matter how kind your grandchildren are, German children are kinder. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/6 "2024-08-24T23:18:19Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Just remember, Beck, no matter how kind your grandchildren are, German children are kinder
 Just don’t accept a gift from them. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/7 "2024-08-24T23:22:12Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > The Mom’s > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Mom’s were On a board dedicated to fighting ignorance and in a thread dedicated to helping children do their homework, I feel compelled to point out that the plural of Mom is _Moms_, not _Mom’s_, which is the possessive. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/8 "2024-08-24T23:25:01Z")
Why, thanks. Always willing to learn. My tablet(which has a mind of its own) autocorrected it to that. I neglected to see it or really care very much. I’ll endeavor to do mo’ better! ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/9 "2024-08-24T23:27:27Z")
Heh, I once had a co-worker who thought odd and even numbers were an arbitrary concept _that I made up_. I totally thought they were joking, but no. Not a stupid person by any means, just not into math. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/10 "2024-08-25T00:52:40Z")
Max may not grow up to be a mathematician, but she may have a bright future as an etymologist. Or a lawyer. I notice that her reasoning that seven is even is quite similar to her reasoning that a grandparent is a parent. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/11 "2024-08-25T01:42:34Z")
She’s very intelligent. Just a bit of a rebel. She can give a good argument and even if it’s wrong she’s forceful. I’m shooting for criminal attorney, as an career choice. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/12 "2024-08-25T02:01:40Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > her reasoning that seven is even is quite similar to her reasoning that a grandparent is a parent. > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > even and odd with number words. You might try explaining that–unlike grandparents–numbers are an abstract concept. The word represents a numeral which represents a certain amount of toothpicks. Grandma isn’t like toothpicks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/13 "2024-08-25T02:33:41Z")
I can’t speak of math concepts. At. All. I’d rather not try. I had her recite, 2 4 6 8. She can do it to number 60. I think. I shut her up before I found out how high she could go. So she gets the number thing It’s the word that bothered her so much. Why do schools do this to kids? It’s like that old thing of “word problems”. Just a bunch of confusion, IMO I never see numbers in word form in my head. I usually speak ASL so the numbers are either numerals or fingers. Very basic. The kids are getting very good at ASL as a second language. I hope it’s not confusing them. I lay in bed thinking about it. Knowing speakers of other languages than their own is considered a plus. And we carry on. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/14 "2024-08-25T03:48:16Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > It’s the word that bothered her so much. > Why do schools do this to kids? What do you mean? Why do schools do what to kids? ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/15 "2024-08-25T03:54:16Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > I notice that her reasoning that seven is even is quite similar to her reasoning that a grandparent is a parent. I kinda thought that ^^ was the point of the story. Kid marches to the beat of her own drummer, but she is, for sure, at least consistent about it. > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I hope it’s not confusing them. I lay in bed thinking about it. Knowing speakers of other languages than their own is considered a plus. Yes, being bilingual or multilingual is never a bad thing. You can cross that off your “worry” list. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/16 "2024-08-25T05:39:40Z")
You didn’t do what I think you did, did you? Oh
You did! You did! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/17 "2024-08-25T05:44:13Z")
Ok. It’s like a 30 ingredient recipe as opposed to a 10 ingredient recipe that creates essentially the same dish. Only the cleverest gastro/chef/expert can nuance the subtle difference. Certainly not a second grader. Using numerals or number words makes not even the slightest difference to a kid understanding math. It may help in spelling, I don’t think they lean heavily on spelling regular words(spelling bees are for words no one ever heard of) in schools anymore. Spelling is supposed to be acquired by early reading programs. I think these written in text math problems are just a way to fill time in a school day. I knew one elementary teacher who hated them. Because of the confusion. Parental phone calls and nasty notes. The preprinted math work books schools so often rely on for early students are a pet peeve of mine. Teacher has time to go for a vape or a coffee while her aide plays on her phone in the classroom. Yeah, those should be outlawed. Teacher stands in front of the whiteboard and teaches math concepts. Not sending workbook pages to a crappy tablet over the weekend. 7 is 7 and is odd. Easy for your kid. Easy for my kid. God forbid some weird parents named their kid Five or Three or Agent 99. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/18 "2024-08-25T06:04:08Z")
It’s just like with a live teacher, tell the machine the answer it wants to hear. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/19 "2024-08-25T06:16:36Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Aaaaacccckkk. > > Math
na na na na na. > > (That’s _no_ by the way) Putting some toothpicks on a table and showing Max how they can or cannot be divided into two equal groups is a math challenge? You need to do better! I am absolutely no math wizard – actually pretty poor in the subject – but even I could eventually appreciate how integral calculus could let you compute the exact area under any curve given the equation for that curve. Calculus delves into infinities and infinitesimals and produces rational answers. Do not deprive your offspring of these wonders. Lay out the six and seven objects and teach her the difference between odd and even so that this seven-year-old can go on to become the next Nobel Prize winner and not the next climate change denier motivated by contarianism. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164/20 "2024-08-25T06:27:41Z")
She understands even and odd numbers pretty well. She told me the other day she had “1 Odd sister and Even 2 brothers”. I thought that a fairly enlightened turn of phrase for a 6.5 year old. Also I laughed like crazy. It’s the _word_ 7(seven) that got to her. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-no-no-seven-is-not-even/1006164.md?page=2)