What have you achieved that is unusual for your peer group?

[DeNiroDeFaro]

Not a journo, just practising for some grad scheme tests and I've not done anything! Have you?

Sobriety. I gave up booze a year ago today in fact.

I am 50 so came of age in the 80s and 90s. A time when any women other than 'Ladettes' were boring. We had to drink shots and pints until we were sick to look cool. Then motherhood brought the Mummy wine culture.

Last year I thought fuck that and gave up. Best decision ever.

A lot of my peers from that era still think I am a bit odd, that I must be boring and can't function without a drink. It is the exact opposite.

However I think the tide is starting to turn. My mates now are younger and totally get it. They have been very supportive.

Written and published two books

Bottle fed numerous pups and kittens

Feck all.

As in, achieving feck all is unusual for my peer group.

<bloody overachievers grumble grumble...>

that's how I feel @PerkingFaintly!

I've done lots of things others might not have, but they're not really achievements. And wouldn't stand out against applicants for the same role. Sigh, I hate these kind of questions

Same here! I struggle to think what I've done because I'm the lowest achiever by a long way.

Paid of my mortgage before I was 34.

And I can't even tell anyone in real life.

Finished high school and got some qualifications (I was the first person in my own family to do this as well).
Waited until I was over 30 to have kids as opposed to most I went to school with being pregnant in their late teens.
It's hard to stay friends with people when your life turns out different to theirs as we've nothing in common now and every conversation is awkward.

Emptying my mum's house when she went into care ... have relatives in their 60s who are tackling their parents homes and I keep thinking, God, I've already done my mum's and I'm only 31!

Home ownership. I bought a flat age 21 in 2008 because I was homeless and it was cheaper up front to buy than rent.

Almost instantly the financial crash happened and my friends have been left behind now we are in our 30s.

Not all of us 50+ felt the need to drink to fit in with the ladette thing, or fit in with anything. Well done on your sobriety, Viva, but please don't generalise.

I was actually thinking, some of the stuff with elderly parents and dad's death, weirdly, I consider my handling of it to be an achievement. My best friend said bluntly, about two weeks before dad died "I'd just be drunk every day if I was dealing with what you're dealing with". But it's not exactly a CV worthy achievement!

That is an amazing achievement.

The question was about one’s one peer group.

*own

Ironically this one I've done (by 30)! But can't say it in real life and it wasn't an achievement for me, so much as privilege and luck.

I wasn't a teen mum. All my friends kids are in their teens now and I'm just starting motherhood now in my early 30s.

I was going to say the opposite to Delilah - I have three kids and when my mum tells people they are always impressed. Most people my age are just getting engaged/having their first baby.

I didn't know anybody else who was pregnant as young as me with DS1, I did wait a bit for DS2 and 3 though.

I've lived in another country (non English speaking) for the last ten years.

I am so impressed.

Moved away from "home"
Still in home country but 500 miles away

Possibly an odd one, but parenthood, none of my friends have children and likely never will. So when we do something in the daytime my two are like some weird curiosity, like they’re an odd exotic animal. Worked my absolute arse off to have them.

Never taken illegal drugs even once.

When younger, wanted to be different, now don't want to support something that leads to young men being killed.

I have various venture capital and direct equity investments. I don't think many of my peers would know what that meant. With DH though, not sure if I would've had the opportunities on my own.

Bit niche, but proved Sir Hans Krebs wrong when I was 21. Still feel suite proud over 40 years later.

Glad you said this
my investments have gone well, my late father was happy with my investment advice, and I told him to take money out of Northern Rock about 9 months before it collapsed.

this has made me feel much better - thank you.

Breastfed DD2 to natural term. She was 5 and half years when she weaned.