Take another kid along
Picking up on what another poster said about kids needing peers, since you have a second child-size boat, instead of selling it, why not find a friend of your daughter to take along. You may need to get another kid-size PFD and paddle, but it will be worth it if it gets your daughter more involved – and it might bring another kid or two in to the paddling tribe.
Now that is a great idea!
I think bringing another kid along may be just the ticket!! It’s always more fun paddling with friends!
Kids have a short attention span
Same thing happened with my daughter, but the trips gradually got longer as she got older. That is until she turned 13 or 14 when she decided it was more fun to hang out with her friends than with dad on the river. Enjoy whatever time you get - its precious.
Kids also Thrive on Competition
Indeed those are precious experiences, but kids also discover other sports around this time, such as football, soccer, basketball, tennis, volleyball, swimming, etc. They are exposed to competition and enjoy the excitement of it all. So you got to compete too with these other sports and make paddling exciting by introducing them to canoe and kayak racing. If you’re on rivers, obtain an old Crozier Cruiser and let them steer. Introduce them to wild and whitewater racing. Out in the ocean, nothing can beat a surfski, or a more stable craft, such as a solo outrigger canoe. Even a SUP will sustain their paddling interest and keep them motivated. It is amazing how competition and racing impacts a kid in a positive way.
You won’t notice the tow line
I attach my daughter, 7 also, to a tow line after she gets tired. I hardly even notice she is back there. Then she can play watch the fish what ever she wants to do. She enjoys it
Wait till they turn 9…
And see who tows who? Ha ha! In an 8 mile race on Saturday, it was my 13 year old yelling at me to pick up my stroke and maintain a race pace cadence in the tandem canoe.