I agreed with you but viewing from your wife's perspective, she just doesn't want your kid to get sick. Maybe she insisted a little bit too much but she's just taking a preventive approach. I'm sure every parent wants to do their best in compromising with what the kids desire, subject to different circumstances of course. I would like my kids to make decision and learn on their own too but as a mother it would be heartbroken watching them to fail/ fall sometimes.