Abstract
Some time ago, my son came down from his room where he was preparing for an examination the next day with the simple question: “Dad, I don’t understand this part of mathematics, can you help me?” My first reaction was to ask him “What mathematics?” He answered “Differential and integral calculus.” My self-image as a father/parent, which in my own definition is among others characterized by the function to remove, whenever necessary, obstacles for the children, was instantaneously replaced by the image of myself as a pupil in high school. Then, I myself had quite some difficulties in understanding this complex type of calculus. Based on this image from my own past, my self-confidence in being able to help my son dropped far below zero and I felt rather anxious that I would not be able to live up to the image my son has about me as some kind of “know-all” and super mathematician. I reacted by saying that “I doubted whether I myself understand differential and integral calculus; it certainly was not one of my strong points during high school.” But this was not true, I remembered suddenly that I had successfully passed all exams dealing with differential and integral calculus at the university. Hence, following a quick inspection of the book and refreshing my memory about differential and integral calculus, I succeeded in explaining various problems. After my son had left again to do some exercises himself, I still felt troubled. Thinking about the future, my expectations to be able to assist my son with mathematics and physics in the years to come were low and surrounded with feelings of anxiety.
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Oppenheimer, L. (1995). The Self as a “Virtual Machine”: Structure versus Content. In: Oosterwegel, A., Wicklund, R.A. (eds) The Self in European and North American Culture: Development and Processes. NATO ASI Series, vol 84. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0331-2_10
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