What is a good strategy for engaging children in playing go?
It's usually a good idea to have an "outsider" teach, going by personal observations and hearsays.

My guess on why parents usually make for poor (beginning) teachers is that the children unconsciously think of it as the parent making them play a game that they will always lose to the parent at, and therefore tend to be less than enthusiastic. This may be why the children of pros so rarely play Go.