What's the point of learning expanded form?

My girls are in 1st and 2nd grades, and neither can seem to master the expanded form of numbers (ie. 52 = 5 tens + 2 ones = 50 + 2).  My 2nd grader has done this both years now and still can’t make heads or tails of it.  Both girls are pretty good at math, too, btw.  I am a math whiz, and I don’t get the point of them, either.  I recognize that it helps with 90+6 = 96, just adding to a ten, but they get that perfectly.  In fact, that part is boring for them.  Is there something in the future for which they will need this knowledge of expanded forms, or can we just skip it??? 

Thanks,

Sara  🙂