LakewoodBubby, one of Rabbi Avigdor Miller’s grandsons, I think Rabbi Brog, quoted his zeide as having said that when he was raising his children, he davened that they should keep kosher and know how to learn a lttle mishnayos (or something along these lines); he couldn’t imagine being zoche to more than that.
We’ve come full circle. I don’t get the people who are raising children to be gedolei hador. If my children are shomer Shabbos, have an enthusiasm for Yiddishkeit and love each other I will be greatful beyond belief. We can’t take anything for granted.
I have to say that as has been mentioned, you can say that there are two kinds of ways of going off the derech. To see a child grow up focused and aware of his/her dignity is no small potatoes in this day and age either.
There are two excellent tapes/essays by Rabbi Frand. One is on cynicism-leitzanus. The other, not exacly apropos to this thread but still magnificent, is an essay called To Give is Divine.