The effects that peer interactions in an adult mathematics classroom have on the children of women returning to study mathematics were explored in a case study of seven Australian mothers who had school-aged children and who had returned to study mathematics in Australia's technical and further education sector. During the 12-month study, the mothers were interviewed twice and family follow-up interviews were conducted. Five of the women mentioned being able to assist their children in school as one of their specific reasons for returning to study. During the course of the women's experiences in a formal classroom where peer interaction was encouraged, the women developed a deepened appreciation for the value of their peers' different perspectives as they assisted in the women's developing understanding. This shift, in turn, affected the relationships existing between the women and their children. Evidence of emergent dialogues of mathematical inquiry between the women and their children was found. By applying their new knowledge in dialogues with their children in their homes, the women were affirmed and further stimulated in their new learning mode. The study provides evidence that the private world of the parent-child relationship deserves greater attention for its potential contribution to constructing new mathematical knowledge. (Contains 34 references.) (MN)