I always thought multiplication meant repeated addition. Consider
$$4 \times 3 = 12.$$
This the same as
$$4 + 4 + 4 = 12.$$
Now consider
$$\frac{1}{2} \times \frac{1}{2} = \frac{1}{4}. $$
If I use repeated addition approach, then I get
$$\frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{2} = 1. $$
So the repeated addition approach doesn't really work.
I was helping my nephew with his maths homework and I was using the repeated addition approach. Then multiplying fractions came up and now I'm confused. Is there an easy answer to this?? Anything I could read. I'm very interested in trying to understand it. Right now it feels like I know nothing. lol