The 'fun' of maths isn't the same fun as you get from, say, playing another game of some casual computer game where you're simply switching off and doing something relaxing. It's fun in the sense that it's a challenge and provides immense satisfaction when you work out problems with it.
I've noticed that I get a rarely-rivaled sense of satisfaction when I see different bodies of knowledge that I've covered come together. For example, if my physics from school/uni help me solve a problem I'm facing at work, it gives a really good, satisfying feeling of mastery over the topics at hand. Deriving a solution without guidance, simply from your own existing knowledge, is a wonderful feeling.
The problem with this is that unless you embrace that 'inquisitive for inquisitive's sake' attitude, you don't easily justify fully exploring subjects like maths to the point of gaining that capacity. It's the same as programming, just as you touched on. Someone could be a moderate programmer if they learn what they need to spit out basic code to achieve an end goal, but you won't feel the same satisfaction of mastery as if you embrace the art and program things 'just because'.
The good thing is kids seem to be born with this attitude innately - just look at any young child explore the world around them. It's only really through social conditioning that it seems to be beaten out of them, as you say. Through good role models and leadership (e.g.: from teachers, parents) providing adequate material to feed that curiousity, it can be avoided.
It's fantastic that this kid's parents are willing to do what they did, just as your mother was willing to feed your curiousity. Understanding how significant it can be to the development of a child throughout their life is, I think, the key to fully appreciating the role that teachers (formal and informal) have in our society and why they should be valued far more than they often are at present.
As a corollary to this, perhaps one of the most heartbreaking moments for a kid whose parents welcome their questions and feed them information is when you finally discover they don't actually know everything and that you've exhausted their ability to teach about a certain topic. I remember reaching that point several times and it always upset me, all the way from first playing around with computers and dad not having all the answers, to finally getting to maths beyond what either of my parents were taught towards the end of my high schooling.
It's upsetting, but I guess it's also gratifying if you can step back from the moment and realise that it means you're also becoming just as wise as those who you've always looked up to. That's powerful.
I have three children and they frequently will ask me question that either I never knew, or have long since forgotten. I take these times to demonstrate another lesson -- how to learn.
When I was a child it would end up with a trip to the encyclopedia (we were a Collier's family) and if that did not satisfy our needs, a visit to the library. A few times, we have had to visit the library, generally so my kids can check out a book or two on a specific interest, as the internet/wikipedia/kahn academy now have so much content there are few things an interested mind cannot learn.
I think it is very important for children to learn how to learn and how to admit when you don't know something.
i don't have any kids of my own, but have had plenty of opportunities to babysit. what i always do if kids ask a question i don't know is tell them i don't know, but lets go look it up. Then i go on my phone or on a computer to wikipedia and look it up with the kids right there. Even if the kids aren't able to read yet, there are pictures and you can explain it to them as you learn it yourself. I'm hoping i might spark their curiosity this way, and also once they're a little older the desire to go and research something that they don't know but are curious about.
I've noticed that I get a rarely-rivaled sense of satisfaction when I see different bodies of knowledge that I've covered come together. For example, if my physics from school/uni help me solve a problem I'm facing at work, it gives a really good, satisfying feeling of mastery over the topics at hand. Deriving a solution without guidance, simply from your own existing knowledge, is a wonderful feeling.
The problem with this is that unless you embrace that 'inquisitive for inquisitive's sake' attitude, you don't easily justify fully exploring subjects like maths to the point of gaining that capacity. It's the same as programming, just as you touched on. Someone could be a moderate programmer if they learn what they need to spit out basic code to achieve an end goal, but you won't feel the same satisfaction of mastery as if you embrace the art and program things 'just because'.
The good thing is kids seem to be born with this attitude innately - just look at any young child explore the world around them. It's only really through social conditioning that it seems to be beaten out of them, as you say. Through good role models and leadership (e.g.: from teachers, parents) providing adequate material to feed that curiousity, it can be avoided.
It's fantastic that this kid's parents are willing to do what they did, just as your mother was willing to feed your curiousity. Understanding how significant it can be to the development of a child throughout their life is, I think, the key to fully appreciating the role that teachers (formal and informal) have in our society and why they should be valued far more than they often are at present.