A larger pair of shoes

I feel old. I'm losing hair, it's turning gray, and I'm not even in my mid-twenties! :O
The past one year has sped up my aging process. Last year this time, mentally I was 5 years old. Now I'm 50. (Weight of wisdom)

So here's my take on life, from the other side of 50:
The parent:
I have to take care of my family. My kids. My house. My work. But no matter how much I do, it's never enough for them. I come back early from office. Just to get demands from the kids. I buy something for them on my trip out, but it is not what they wanted. They're used to getting my gifts all the time. I spend all my time thinking about how I can make my loved ones happier. I'm scared about the bad people in the world. I want them to be miles away from my kids. But I don't know what the kids are up to. They're so secretive about everything. They barely talk to me. And when I try to be a part of their life, I become the villain. I am the control freak. And what do I get in return? Nothing. You never realize that maybe sometimes I want something in return as well. I am not asking you to be indebted to me. No. It is my duty as a parent to love you. But, I want to feel cared for too. I want my kids to feel they're loved and love me back. Sometimes all I need is a hug. A word of thanks. A little love is all that I am asking for.

The other side:
It's not like I don't know what you're doing for us. I see your struggle. I see the office pressure, the commute, the sacrifice. I know you love me. I see it. It's just that sometimes I wish to do things by myself. I need to grow up too. Live life. See what's out there. You cannot keep protecting me from everything that's out there.
So what if I'm the weak one? How else will I know what's not good, if I don't make my own mistakes? You cannot live my life for me.

My take on arriving at a balance is, when you are a parent, let your kids do things that they can do themselves, by themselves. Have you seen the number of spoilt brats around? One mistake parents make is in thinking, Oh he cannot do this by himself, without even letting them try first. And then there never comes a point where they think the kids have grown enough to do that particular work themselves. You are not only making kids lazy, but also instilling in them that someone is there to do it for you.
Kids on their part don't realize just how much their parents do for them until they themselves become parents. They're always expecting something done, as soon as the words are out of their mouth. Realize that if there is something that you can do yourself, never ask someone else to do it for you.

You cannot point your finger at any of them. They're both right, almost. Just that somewhere a line needs to be drawn. No matter how old you are, kids will remain - just that - kids to the parents. The trick is in finding the balance.
Which you achieve when you turn 50 (mentally)

On a related, lighter topic, check out the picture. Sometimes kids know more than their parents. Time for a role reversal then.