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The competition is over.
Now what?
Most parents react to a math competition result in one of two ways. Both feel natural. And both, if left unchecked, can quietly get in the way of your child's growth.
The two reactions I see every year
After Math Kangaroo — and every competition like it — I watch the same two camps form among parents within hours of the exam ending.
"She did well. We can relax for a bit. Things are on track."
"He didn't perform as expected. Something isn't working. We need to fix this."
I understand both completely. But here is what I've learned after working with thousands of students across the U.S. and Canada — the score, by itself, tells you very little about what to do next.
"A competition is a checkpoint, not a destination. What happens in the weeks after matters far more than the result itself."
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The question that actually matters
When I sit with a student after a competition — whether they scored at the top or struggled — the first thing I'm looking for has nothing to do with their answers.
I want to know: Do they enjoy sitting with a problem they have never seen before?
Not solving it instantly. Not knowing the right formula. Just leaning in, trying something, seeing where it leads — without the anxiety that comes from needing to be right.
That instinct is a skill. And like all skills, it develops through consistent practice — not cramming before one test, but regular, thoughtful engagement with problems over months and years.
A student encounters a problem they have never seen. Their first reaction used to be to freeze, or to look for a shortcut they had memorised.
After months of consistent practice — not drilling, but genuinely engaging with unfamiliar problems — something shifts. They start to see a new problem as a puzzle, not a threat. They try one approach. It doesn't work. They try another. They are not discouraged by the first wrong turn.
That change in how they meet a difficult problem is worth far more than any single competition score.
This is bigger than math
The students who develop this habit — who fall in love with problem solving — do not just perform better in competitions. They carry something more durable into every area of their lives.
- They are comfortable with uncertainty and unfamiliar situations
- They persist when the answer is not obvious
- They think in multiple directions instead of looking for one right path
- They develop a confidence that does not collapse when they get something wrong
These are not math skills. They are thinking skills. And the earlier they are built, the deeper they go.
What to do this week
Whether your child thrived or struggled in the competition, here is a practical framework for the days immediately after.
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1Let the dust settle — briefly
Give your child a day or two of genuine break from the competition thread. Do not debrief the exam in detail. Do not express disappointment. Let the emotions settle down.
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2Keep the rhythm going
After the short pause, return to normal practice. Consistency over time is the only thing that actually changes how a child thinks. Breaks that stretch into weeks quietly undo months of progress.
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3Ask better questions
Instead of "how did you do?" try "was there a problem you really enjoyed?" or "did anything surprise you?" Shift the conversation from performance to curiosity. Over time, they will start to ask those questions themselves.
Final words
Oh, and I almost forgot. There is one more kind of parent — those who are simply unaware of what is going on in the world of math and competitions. 🙂 In a way they are more evolved, because as you know, ignorance is bliss. But bliss today is not quite the blessing for tomorrow. Is it?
If you are reading this, you are the right kind of parent — in the ring, in the arena, showing up every day to make your child a more capable and confident human being. That is the real thing. May you be blessed in that journey.
Building the habit of loving hard problems
Our Math Olympiad program is designed around exactly this idea. Not drilling. Not cramming. Consistent, structured engagement with challenging problems — so the wiring in the brain gradually changes.
Students begin to meet unfamiliar questions with curiosity instead of hesitation. That shift takes time. It starts with one class.
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