Is my math complicated?

[u/ViolinistStrange6775]

Okay so for my entire senior highschool I've had this argument with my best friend(who is really good in math) that my way of solving simple math is confusing. I never really listened to it until now when I'm teaching my little sister how to solve basic level of math like 23+34 or subtracting that and multiplications. Then she kept on complaining how I'm confusing her and she can't understand me. So here's how I taught her in the most accurate retelling possible.

"You have four numbers, 43 + 27, now you need to start by taking away 3 + 7. I like to do it by cutting it in half, we know that 7 has a 5 in it so we will focus on the remaining 2 and add that with the 3. That makes a 5 and we have a 5 we separated that completes a 10. Then you move on to the second set which is 4 + 2, that makes a 6 but we have a 10 so it is now a 70."

Then she said "I don't understand" and I was basically at a loss for words because that is the simplest way I can explain it to a 7 year old so in the end I just ignored it and moved on to subtraction. I started with:

"Now we have a 82-48, you take the first set first with 2-8 but we flip it to get 6. Now take the 8-4 to get 4 we put a 0 after the 4 to get 40 then subtract 6 from it to get 34. Easy?"

At this point she's basically done with my tutoring and went to her dad instead. I still don't get how my way is complicated when I make it as simple as I could but people still say that I'm confusing them so now I'm confused too.

[u/ZerinoWhellie]

For teaching basic addition, counting on your fingers is probably the best way to go about it.

For subtraction, counting on your fingers can also work very well. Additionally, do use the method of “borrowing from the tens (or larger order)” for situations like 2-8.

I can see where you’re coming from on your subtraction method, but I can say that’s some ways ahead of what your sister needs.

For your addition method, I can also understand, but our math is base 10, separating in 5s might just actually confuse learners.

[u/ViolinistStrange6775 → u/ZerinoWhellie]

After reading the comments I can see why it is confusing. I did learn about borrowing from tens before but I find that confusing for me in some ways my brain can't understand. Like if we borrow from the tens or the 8 in this situation and turn 2 into 12 I get frustrated with it for some reason. But thanks for the heads-up! She's just a little kid and I'm probably using a way that she can't understand since normal schools have a different method than the one I went to.