When it comes to new experiences, do you encourage your LO to do things they don't like? Or, do you just accept that they don't like it & let them do their own thing?

I definitely try to encourage new experiences, while my husband doesn't want Sadie to ever be uncomfortable. To me, she won't know if she really likes something unless she really gets to experience it. She needs to see that it won't hurt her, dada/mama's here, and it can actually be fun. I hate to see her sad/scared/uncomfortable, of course, but she always ends up having tons of fun in the end. The hubs' philosophy: "She'll figure it out one day - don't let her cry/feel uncomfortable now."

I guess I don't want her to be a fearful, nervous person!

For example, she was scared of some of the animals at the petting zoo, but once I made her sit with me and experience it, she realized they weren't so scary... they were actually really fun! If my husband had his way, she would've been allowed to leave, and never had that fun experience.

Do you prefer to let your kids experiences on their timeline or do you encourage/push them to do new things?