Question:
How careful does one need to be with a child regarding eating meat after fish and vice versa? For instance, as opposed to milk and meat which are never served together on the same table, there may be a fish dish and a meat dish on the same table. So a child may eat meat and then see the fish and want the fish. How makpid must one be that the child take a drink and eat food between the meat and the fish, as is halachically required for an adult? And if one should be makpid, must one still be makpid if the child will make a fuss that he doesn't want to take a drink or eat food in between? And if one must be makpid, at what age for a child would this begin? Thanks
Answer:
Hello,
From the age that the child will understand that we take a drink, and eat something between fish and meat, that is when the child should be told to do so. It is hard to give chinuch advise without knowing your situation and your children, but in general, nowadays it is not good chinuch to force children to keep halacha. They should be explained, that we eat and drink a little bit between eating fish and meat. However, if the child will kick up a fuss, leave it for now, and tomorrow, after the child calm down, you can say a story, where a person ate fish and then wanted to eat meat, but beforehand, he went to look for something to drink, etc… This way the child will learn what is correct for him to do, without the animosity of a fight.
Best wishes