THIS!!!!! You're literally describing my life!!! I have 3 boys. They're almost 32, 29 and 27. The oldest was exactly as you desceibe yours. I took a similar approach to you. I got the same disdain. fast forward a decade or two, MY son, you know, the one they all looked at so scornfully, graduated from university with honours, became a successful pharmaceutical chemist, then changed careers to follow his passion and is now a very successful music producer. He has a wife and owns his own home. Funny, these other mothers no longer ask about my son. They don't want to hear about him, or my other 2, for that matter. You know why? It doesn't make them feel good now. And therein lies the difference, all along, for them, it was about them, and for me, it was about my kids.

You did exactly the right things. You can take pride in doing what was right for your child. You don't need to brag. You don't need the validation of those mothers. You have the best validation, a job well done.

Thank you so much for writing this!