Distributive property of multiplication

 I have a 3rd and 1st grader and helping them with homework is sometimes challenging. The words my 1st grader comes home with surprises me and having to explain the words to her to get her to understand what in the world I am talking about can be hard at times. This week it is the word plead. When I was in 1st grade I was just learning to read less challenging words lol. How things have changed? My 3rd grader needed to figure out how to solve a problem using distributive property of multiplication. Now growing up I was taught to solve a problem this way:
 36
x 5 - first you would figure out what was 6x5= 30 carry the 3 and put the 0 under the 5. Then 3x5=15
   0   add the 3 giving you 18 giving you an answer of 180. These days kids have to use common core
18    I am sure you have heard of it by now. Parents everywhere are complaining how dumb its
        making their kids. When I looked at examples to learn the new way of doing this method it comes out to be easier then the old way.  The same problem is broken down a bit more. You still come out with the same answer.

Since the 3 is in the tens place you place a 0 behind the 3 making it 30
30x5=
yes this may look a bit harder but its not cover the 0 and ask the child to figure out 3x5=15
a lot of people know that off the top of their heads. Now don't forget to add the 0 because 3 is in the tens place if you remember me saying that before. So a big problem of 30x5= became easier because it was broken down. 30x5= 150
now the 6 is in the ones place so 6x5=30 now add 150+30= 180. Same answer. Yes this was a pretty easy problem but with them learning to do easy problems this way they will be able to figure out bigger problems that you would need a calculator to figure out. Making our kids into human calculators and I don't know about you but I use math everyday. Cooking, shopping, writing out bills, driving.  When my daughter caught on to this way her face lit up and she was doing huge problems and excited that she could figure them out with no problem. Very proud of her. I am this old and still learning so I am proud of myself for catching on. lol Notice I didn't put an age. That's the math that I don't care to keep track of.