Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

Parents can train, teach and pray for a child as much as they want, however, they have no control over that child’s freewill. Proverbs provides practical advice and probable results for social and spiritual situations, however they are not promises from God.

Children stray because they sin and want they're own way. We’ve all done it. Parents cannot beat themselves up over the choices their children make.

Even King David, the man described as being after God's own heart, had children who rebelled.  So did Jacob, Solomon and many of the priests and kings in the Bible.

We all have freewill.  Children want to make their faith their own.  At some point in their life, they want to believe what they want to believe, not what their parents' believe.  Sometimes they return to that faith.  Sometimes they stray.  A parent's job is to make sure there is a solid foundation of belief in place before that child reaches the age of 12-14, when most kids begin to stray.

That’s not to say we should let parents completely off the hook. They must be reminded that sometimes their sinful actions as witnessed at home may have an everlasting effect on the lives of their kids. If mothers and fathers do not set the example by making God first in their lives, more often than not, the children will follow their lead.

Sometimes parents are the reason their children stray...but not always.