A good education never deserves a face punch, IMO. However, like MMM, we were already FI when we finally managed to have our only child at 45.
We enrolled DS in a Montessori morning preschool when he was 3. We lived in a car centered neighborhood without similar aged children. He thrived at his preschool, learning to socialize, read, do practical skills (cutting up fruits & veggies for snacks & washing windows!), & math skills such as long division with manipulatives.
We were so pleased with the school that we kept him there for his elementary education. However, we initially weren't aware that the elementary school used a "write to read" methodology rather than Montessori. By the 2nd grade, we knew DS was unhappy & very troubled, but the school didn't grade & the reports were rosy. I had him go thru the application process at another school & was horrified to discover that DS could barely do 1st grade math, although he was already reading at the 6th grade level. We then had him tested for IQ & learning differences. What a revelation! DS was diagnosed with serious dyscalculia (math) & dysgraphia (writing) along with very high IQ. I will never forget the look of relief on his face when we told him about his LD; he was terrified that we'd find out how stupid he was. NOT!
At this point, we rejected the usual practice of pulling a child out of mainstream classes for tutoring & transferred him to a small school that only works with LD & ADD students. Ironically, while not being a Montessori school, his LD school uses the very techniques of manipulatives, visual, & audio methods that worked so well. Daily classes included 3 hours for English reading, grammar, & phonics, plus math, science, history, & geography. Classes were very small & it was impossible to hide. Writing is minimal with multiple choice & short answers until 5th grade, when students were taught to use a keyboard (with a small screen) -- this greatly helps with dysgraphia, since students don't have to worry about how to form letters. DS can now type at 60 wpm.
This LD school made such a difference in teaching DS to meet & exceed his grade level, an efficient way to keep his binder always organized, transition from daily to weekly & monthly homework execution, & grow in self confidence. DS qualified for one of the top high schools in our city, which does not cater to LD/ADD students except to allow the use of a laptop for notes & some extra time for tests. It is a Catholic school & he loved it for its concentration on fellowship & service as well as academic excellence, & graduated magna cum laude.
Without this education, I don't think DS would have qualified for his top-50 university, his major scholarships, or achieved his 3.9 GPA. He's now a junior & particularly proud that he is a double major in electrical engineering and MATH. For our family, his education was money well spent.