[PilotMan]

My kids are old now, and parenting just changes as they get older. Things are so much more complicated for them. You have to relate to them as adults and know that their problems are big problems now. They are so close to going out to make their own way in the world and it's completely terrifying.

My middle son is in therapy right now because he's a high achieving perfectionist (wonder where he gets that from....hmmm) and is going through the exact same thing that I went through when I was in college. He is finding out that the path that he's been working toward for 4 years isn't going to happen. He's finding that there is an academic wall that he can't survive, and that his math skills, while good, aren't cut out for the high level stuff he hoped. He didn't get accepted to the residential high school, but his best friend, that he told to apply, did.

He's had some bad thoughts, and he's battle a lot of depressive feelings since early this year. I think we finally might be through the worst of the down cycle. I knew school starting again, would be a big trigger, and it was. I hope, hope hope, that he's coming out the other side, with a new outlook and new goals to strive for.

My wife feels completely lost. She was awesome when they were little, but the amount of brain power and stress that comes with parenting older kids puts her out of her depth most of the time. We only have a couple years left until they are gone and I dread it. I am super attached to them, and as much as I know they have to leave, it breaks my heart thinking about them going. The wife and I are a great team though and we are preparing for that time. She knows she'll need to be the rock, while I'm reduced to tears.