Hey Melissa,
If you put an I in front of it and call it a I-Shopbot (like an Iphone, Ipod, Ipad) and stick an Apple logo on it maybe they will get interested.

I know the feeling, my two older teenage grandchildren have no interest in working with wood or the shopbot but the younger 10 yr old has done 3 or 4 projects with me. I guess you have to start them off early.