I don't see the Mercedes analogy as an appropriate one. It's just another car, only an outrageously expensive one. To me, saying you're driving a Mercedes is just like saying your child is attending the private school whose primary qualification for attendance is the ability to pay an extravagant tuition.
Our children are more like all-electric vehicles. They look the same and do some of the same things as other cars, but the technology involved is completely different, so our experiences and challenges with them are completely different.
So, if someone asks you to make a three-hour car trip, it's virtually impossible to have this conversation without mentioning that your car is different, battery won't last that long, takes too long to charge, and there's a dearth of charging stations. Whether the listener decides you're bragging about your eco-friendliness is beyond your control.
By the same token, my boss needs to know why I keep requesting time off to have meetings with DD's school. It's impossible to have that conversation with him without mentioning giftedness... unless I want to just lie outright (I don't).
