Thats great on taking your kid out and getting a bird. I know those memories will be burned into your mind forever. There is absolutely nothing like it!
Its ridiculous however that people wouldn't want kids getting out in the woods. My son got his first bird when he was 6, got his second this year and now he's 8.
Here in Missouri they realized if they are going to be getting money from hunting permits in the future, then there will have to be hunters who want to buy those tags.
Here's a trick you can try for taming the 3" loads. I used it for my son and it works great. He even shoots a single shot so the recoil is even more. Remove the buttpad and fill the hole for the stock screw with small lead bird shot like 8s or 9s. It adds some weight but really tames the recoil. It is alot heavier to carry but I do all the carrying for safety reasons.