Schools have been preoccupied with pupils' attainment in recent years. Consequently there has been a risk of neglecting other important aspects of learning mathematics. One of these is pupils' attitudes and affective responses. In this article, the author discusses the impact of pupils' attitudes on their attainment in mathematics and the importance of fostering positive attitudes. Here, she considers three questions: (1) Why is attitude important?; (2) How does teaching affect attitude?; and (3) What can be done to promote positive attitudes?