Congrats, and Great Job in getting the kids into hunting. Hope you both get one soon.

I understand the point of trying to teach patience as I do think that that is one of the most important aspects of hunting. However, I do not understand the concept of making kids shoot spikes or button bucks really. A deer is a deer. Shoot a mature doe, let the young ones go, as long as it is a good clean shot. Also, there is something to be said for just getting any deer, it is a huge confidence booster to just have anything hanging in the freezer. My first deer was a 10 pt buck. Only b/c he was the first one to walk right in and stand in front of me. However, since I've already got a big rack hanging up, I don't feel I need to go shoot a huge buck. So I don't rush shots just to fling an arrow at a big buck hoping to get it. For me, that brought me patience.

Patience is very important, some try to teach it by making kids pass up good deer to shoot a spike, and that may work, but I think overall patience is connected to maturity. If the kid is mature then they will know to wait and make a good clean shot.

With that said I'm not the parent, and it's not my place to judge,so YOU teach your kids how you want them to do it.