Yeah, I took my granddaughter to the guitar shop, helped her pick out her guitar, several different picks to try, a tuner, extra set of strings with the promise that I'd help her when it was time to change the strings and help her with her lessons. I think she messed with it for about two days.
It happens. Probably a lot.
What started me with our grandson was that I noticed he liked to watch me play once in a while and would hold my guitar and tinker with it, pretending to play. When I asked him if he wanted a guitar, he said "yes." So we bought him a Squier mini-strat just like his grandpa's Stratocaster (that was important to him) and amp, etc. And he knows they are HIS TO KEEP, whatever happens.
We DO NOT make him practice. We DO NOT nag when he doesn't. Occasionally, we'll encourage him to spend more time with the guitar, but he is never made to feel like it is something he HAS TO DO! We have made it clear to him that he can have lessons and he can have the guitar forever and it is his decision whether he wants to proceed.
We don't even use the word "practice." We talk of "play." We want him to understand that it is play...and fun. And if it stops being fun, he is free to put it down...for as long as he wants.
The kid is only eight years old. We're not gonna force anything here.
He has the skills...that's apparent when he does his lessons. He can do it. But it's up to him to decide if it's what he wants. If he does...great! If not, there will be no guilt, no recriminations. He will have tried it...and we will have given him the opportunity to try it. And maybe, when he's a teen, he'll try it again.
It's a gift...it's his to do what he wants with it. That's it.