I'm not sure my response will be helpful, but I'll bite. I work from home and I will never retire because I love what I do. My children know this, but because I work from home during school hours, they view it very differently from my spouse's prestigious career.
We just had a conversation this weekend about doing what you love and the money following. I believe it with all my heart because I live it. It's like the passionate wood worker; they don't do it for money, they'd do it because they are passionate about it. They read about it, breathe it, sleep it, etc., and because of that, they are highly skilled and sell product. To me, that's the dream. We've also talked, in depth, about how that looks practically. I want them to explore the things they love doing and see what careers might fit or how they could possibly create their own career realistically. I've told them my belief that some passions will fade and some will stay with them and almost become part of them to where they would do it even without pay (i.e. the wood worker).
FWIW, we often have discussions about money, consumerism, etc. (Edited personal.) I encourage my kids to question everything in life and not to just do "x" because they think they're supposed to (you don't have to get married, have a wedding, have children, go to college, buy a car, etc., just because that's what "everyone" does).
In terms of a role model, aren't you a great one? "Daughter/son, we have done "x, y, z" and that is why I am able to volunteer at your school, do house projects, read, do what I love, etc., etc. I've chosen path "x" because this is the life I wanted. You may want that life, too, or you might not, but I want you to understand why I've chosen it and what it allows me to do."
The last part of your question is a battle I've faced. I don't find public schools to be the best option for optimal learning, but for our family, it's the best option. My children have pushed back against attending public school at times and I have given them our reasons. I encourage and almost enforce reading outside of school, asking questions, research, etc. and we talk quite a bit. I won't push my children to attend a learning institution beyond a high school diploma or GED and depending on how that looks, I wouldn't view it as a lazy approach. But, that's my approach right now and I try to stay flexible with parenting.