You can. It's almost quite literally an effort of 30 - 60 min per day or week or month, depending on how skilled you are at keeping things convenient, meaning self-hosting services and maintaining them.
Once a service gets so big, that you are practically forced to join, regulation seems like a very good idea
Missing out is an illusion.
Enough ways to get around the benefits of using WhatsApp for business. Enough customers hate using WhatsApp to communicate with businesses.
Getting your own kids to switch messenging client is fairly trivial. Then they can talk to you (and to each other).
The network effect means you then have to persuade other kids, and parents, and sports coaches, and music teachers and ... to switch.
(Source: have three kids and we have exactly this issue)
Signal is spy stuff. WhatsApp means obedience and submission.
At least where we are, schools have been told not to touch WhatsApp at all, and use another (more GDPR-compliant) messaging product; despite this there is typically an unofficial WhatsApp group for each class, but no teachers are members.
> WhatsApp means obedience and submission
I don't disagree, but I don't think you'll convince many parents to stop using WhatsApp if you approach it like that.
My impression is that most parents are very busy people and are just trying to keep up with the chaos caused by their kids; they will opt for the easiest solution that solves their problem.
and there are various ways to prove your value that are not based on networks
the thing is, almost everyone is or will be looking in the near future.