Quick Slow-Cooker Fail

I like oatmeal. DS likes oatmeal (sometimes) as long as it has lots of brown sugar. I never want to put the time into making oatmeal, and instant stuff is pretty gross (I buy the maple & brown sugar, because he likes it)
In a Google search for slow-cooker recipes, I came across a couple recipes for slow cooker oatmeal. I have oats in my house from baking. I didn't save the link, just got up and did what it said to do before bed. I threw in the oats and water as per package directions, added my flavour (dried apple slices & cinnamon) and set it on low to cook. I went to bed.
8 hours later, DS & I are smelling something remotely yummy and thinking breakfast would be good. We go to the kitchen, and I pull the lid off.
Oh, god, can I make him eat this? It was like a brown slime. I spooned out a couple bowls, drowned them in brown sugar & milk (soy for his) and prayed for the best. Although it didn't taste bad, the texture was awful and it looked less than appealing.
Needless to say, my picky 3-year-old did NOT eat any. He had Alpha-Bits. His bowl of goo congealed into a solid mass and plopped out into the garbage. I tossed the rest.
So much for that! Maybe less cooking time, but I followed the recipe....