Do you ever let your kids taste stuff you know they won't like?
Do you encourage them to taste these things?
Once upon a time, I had some in-laws that encouraged a toddler in the family to eat jalapeno peppers. Everyone was so amused by the face he made as he spit them out. He looked up as if to say "what have you given me?!" (I've even heard of people using peppers for discipline.) What effect does this have on the trust the child has in the parent?
I think we've all had the moment when our child tries lemon and we anxiously await the adorable sour face. What is the difference? I feel like having lemon available and letting a child try it is different than coercing them into trying a spicy pepper. Lemons are brightly colored, too. They look like they'd be fun to eat! I think someone might also be more likely to enjoy lemons. But what do I know, I hate citrus and don't care for hot peppers on their own.
