Wooden literalism takes that statement as a fact, or actually an absolute promise. A LOT of parents of wayward offspring have suffered a tremendous amount of guilt from such an interpretation...thinking that if their child as an adult has chosen to walk away from the Lord, this verse is stating unequivocally it is THEIR fault.
I know that Quix was quoting another in their objection to "wooden literalism."
Consistency in child-rearing for the cause of Christ's glory, and teaching children that God has FIRST CALL AND FIRST CHOICE on their futures (friendships, worship, marriage, career, service, and life & death themselves), is what makes Proverbs 22:6 operate in the children's lives when they become adults.
This is the standard of God (reading the entire book of Proverbs), and when children go wayward it is because that standard was not determined to be kept consistently. I speak as a father of seven.
When Christian parents, from the outset and from the heart and will, say, "That verse is absolute, true, and the standard of God," and then seek God to fulfill it in the lives of their children . . . I can testify in the rearing of seven children . . . that verse WORKS LITERALLY, not "wooden"ly, but more like an IRON RAIL.
You can apply whatever interpretation you like, however King Solomon, and his original Jewish readers, did NOT take any proverb as an absolute truth, which is one reason the very book is called PROVERBS. The definition of the word "proverb" in English, (and in its Hebrew equivalent too) is A TRUISM...that is a wise saying with is USUALLY (but not always) true.
If you make it into something the authors...that is, Solomon, AND the Holy Spirit, never intended it to be, than you are making up your own meaning to scripture, and not taking God's Word for what it is--what He intended. Forcing our own meaning onto something that God intended otherwise is a form of idolatry.
I'm sure Job's friends may have quoted the proverb: "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." (Prov. 16:18) or, "Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor." (Prov. 29:3) as don't these verses PROVE that Job's own sin brought him down?
No, they don't, as God Himself called Job righteous (Job 1:8), and God allowed Job to be brought low, for His own reasons, even as He judged Job's accusers.
Hebrew narrative, like the story of Job, or, Genesis, or I, II Kings (etc), is a genre the original authors (the writer, and the Holy Spirit) intended to be taken literally...so right interpreters do so.
Proverbs are called "proverbs" for a reason, and that is because the genre is that of a truism, a proverb.
You are one of probably less than 2-5 dozen sets of parents whom I know of in 63 years of closely watching, learning of thousands of parents--who've done it quite successfully, quite Biblically, quite rightly. CONGRATS.
It might be as few as a dozen sets of parents across 3 continents--though, like you & Dr E--some other successful FREEPER parents may boost it above a dozen. I didn't keep a literal log.
Of course, a psychologist tends to see some of the worst professionally. However, I also viewed a huge cross section in daily life in church, shopping, craft classes etc. And, I would persistently ask questions about family, children, parenting etc. in all those settings virtually whenever I could get away with it.