Last year when my daughter was graduating high school and I saw all of the kids with their prestigious college sweatshirts on, I thought.. I wonder how many of these kids actually want to be going off to college and for what they are intending to do at college. It seems like a lot have pressure from their parents, and for what? So they look good? It all seems to be a reflection on the parents and how they are perceived from others. I hoped for my daughter to go to college but she chose not to. I am glad she followed her dream.

I am sorry you felt that way as a kid and that you are now comfortable doing what you love because of the practices you put in place. It's all a learning curve!