Why do most children hate math in their early years?

<p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 13px;">Author: Ryan Chew

<p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">Having observed the learning behaviour of young children first hand, I'd say that it's because of this:<br style="margin-top: 0px; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" />  

<p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 13px;">Learned Helplessness

<p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">Simply put, the more someone fails at a particular task, the more likely they'll seek to avoid that task because they <i style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">perceive<span style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"> the task as beyond the reach of their natural abilities. This behaviour has been observed not only in humans, but in animals as well; which is why elephants chained from birth can be restrained by flimsy ropes at adulthood. It's learned behaviour.<br style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /> <br style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /> <span style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">What makes us humans distinct from animals however, is that we can learn helplessness from the failure of <i style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">others<span style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">. In short, the more the people <i style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">around <span style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">the child perceive maths as an unpleasant subject, the more likely the child will inherit the same perceptions. In other words, the behaviour is <b style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">cultural<span style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">.<br style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /> <br style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /> <span style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">That's why parental support and involvement is critical during childhood learning. The <i style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">vibe<span style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">that you as a parent give out about a particular task influences the child's very perceptions and intrinsic motivations. If you as the parent can't be arsed to do something, neither will your child. Conversely, the more enthusiastic you are about something, the more your child will be. Teachers come with varying expertise and dedication, outsourcing your child's motivation to a teacher or a third party is the last thing you should do.<br style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /> <br style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /> <span style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">So if your 5 year old asks you about quadratic equations, instead of saying "Ask your teacher", "I don't know", or "Don't bother me"; say "Let's find out!" and google it. Be <b style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">genuinely<span style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"> interested.<br style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /> <br style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /> <span style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">Beyond that, surrounding your child with highly motivated peers and enrolling him or her in a school with a good track record will not go amiss.<br style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /> <br style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /> <span style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">You can even apply this theory to adults and to any other subject you care to learn.

<p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">Source: https://www.quora.com/Why-do-most-children-tend-to-hate-math-in-their-early-years