Thank you for your replies William MG and manXcat.

I'm trying the strumming style from The Animals' song House of the Rising Sun. Very similar to the practice songs strumming style but also coming back up again. It seems very fun and with a little practice seems doable. I really like that song and the guitar there a lot. So it seems to help. :)

I must find other songs I like that have same or very similar chord changes and the practices and I will be so much more fun.

I've also done some melody playing between chord practices. Just for fun. Like the intro on Sweet Child of Mine, just trying it out sometimes feels fun.

Perhaps the guitar type also discouraged me a little. At first I got a Squier Stratocaster with single coils + bridge humbucker. But I really didn't like the sound of it, even when the guitar felt really ergonomic. I got a Les Paul type guitar with humbuckers and I like the sound it much more.

Also planning to put guitars on wall mounts, so I don't have to worry about the kids so much. So I can just grab the guitar when I feel like it, and as you suggested have shorter sessions more often.