Why I love/hate Word Problems

Scene 1:
V: “She spent 1/4 of her money on shoes? Mom, she spent more on shoes than she did on lunch!”

Me: “hmmm”

V, to herself: “1/4 of her money on shoes . . . geez . . . ”

Scene 2:

V: “Oh my gosh, mom, he needs 84 chairs! What in the world would anyone need with 84 chairs?”

Me: “Hmmm, maybe he’s going to have a play and he needs the chairs for the audience.”

V: “Yeah, but still, 84 chairs! Where would you keep them?

Me: “I don’t know, move on to the next problem.”

Scene 3:

[prop: workbook with newly drawn comics illustrating the action of the word problems]

Me: “Quit drawing on your workbook! I can’t see the answers in the middle of all those drawings!! No wonder it took you so long to get this done!!”