My time to educate is almost up. My son turns 17 this year and went through regular school life with peers. He is a social kid and gets along well. He likes going to school in the sense that he values what happens there in a positive way and ignores what bothers him. The times of struggle are long over, which happened in elementary school and the 5th and 6th grade. Just recently I've heard him talking online to another young man and how he reflected about his early years. I skip the details to respect his privacy.

We made sure that he got a life outside school, he became a boy scout and two years ago he got his youth license to become a group leader himself. Due to online time, gaming and films he got interested in learning Japanese, all on his own. He purchased books and took an online course. I think he is as smart as smart one can get, having adapted to the world he lives in. Does he live out his full potential? I don't think so. But then: who does?

I very much enjoyed reading what you revealed about your own family. From what I think, the nuclear family needs support from other people of all ages, you know the saying "to raise a kid you need a whole village". Those times seem to have been gone.