“I agree that kids tend not to go off a derech they are happy with, however I’m sure other factors play a role as well”
I’m not sure what the “however” is in your sentence.
I am not advocating that kids use their brain all the time with no break. I was responding to what I originally understood was being written.
The point I guess I am trying to make if summed up in 3 sentences is simply; Rejecting the path one grew up with is an extreme action. Sometimes, an extreme action, requires just an extreme a reaction. Perhaps the rest of the family displaying the exact opposite reaction (by going out of their way to show the satisfaction with torah and mitzvos in the examples I gave) might have some merit and have a positive effect.