Why are u wanting to keep it small? I’m not saying having a big snake is better, but I tend to see more people get introduced to snakes that are large enough for u to hold their front half and then they touch the back half of the snake since the pointy end is not in their hands. Then they see it’s not going to hurt them and normally will hold something like a ball python. IMHO it’s the best snake to teach and introduce to outsiders that are afraid of snakes. I know that my purple passion will not bite once he is out and had a few minutes to warm up. Hell he has never even struck at me. But u will know their temperament and adjust accordingly, as no two snakes are the same.