If you want to do it Mike, don't let being a neophyte on the guitar keep you away. Let me share two things I have heard from people who deal with children a lot.

1. The first is from a woman who has a PhD in education and is second-in-command of a school system. She says that children today, whether from families which are affluent, poor or in-between, sorely need adults who will TALK to them.

I saw this myself when two little girls moved next door to me. The minute they saw me outside, they came to me, because I was interested in them and would talk to them.

Why not do a song, talk a little, do another song, talk some more?

2. The second friend has taught music for 25 years, both in schools and privately. She says that kids don't even care if you play the right chords on the guitar. If you get the first one right and get them started singing, they don't care what happens next. To them, the guitar simply conveys the message that we are all going to sing.

After 1.5 years you are probably good enough to do this. Best of luck.