Now I got it. I wonder about myself when it comes to having the sort of patience to teach life lessons to a child. As some of you have picked up, I'm not the most patient guy in the world.
BTW I read somewhere, and this could be total pseudo-science, that by the time we reach our teens our tastebuds have already decreased in number, a process that goes on for the rest of our lives. So basically, a 9 year old is a super-taster, and even a little bitterness tastes vile (thus few 9 year olds I know are big coffee drinkers)...