But having spent some time teaching my daughter, I see some real value in starting with very (very!) basic programming. She was amazed that a one character typo made her program break. Nothing in everyday life - with the possible exception of government bureaucracy - is that unthinkingly inflexible. So she learned that computers follow directions explicitly, and what that means.
She also learned the positive side of this - that she was in charge. The computer did exactly what she told it to. I think that's empowering and revolutionary. It wasn't magic, it was a simple series of instructions.
From there, we've got a real basis on which to learn, ask intelligent questions, and figure things out.
EDIT: I agree with the comments, a lot of things are unthinkingly flexible. and the one of the best things to learn about computers is that for the most part you can mess around without causing real physical harm.