Have you ever been in the position where you suddenly realize that your kids have begun to surpass you in terms of knowledge and skills? Some of you may not be in that position yet, but let me tell you it can make you feel old and inadequate.

The best way I can illustrate my thoughts is to simply reflect on my kids and what they are managing to accomplish. I’m an engineer by heart with a primary focus on software. I’ve dabbled in hardware, both electrical and mechanical, and believe I have a reasonable understanding of basics. If you have been reading this blog, you might remember my discussion around the robotics team I’m mentoring. My son is on one of the teams at the school, and my daughter is on the team I mentor.

The kids in this program have created a wide variety of highly competitive robots. Take a look at a video of a recent competition my son’s team was at. (They are the bot at the back and right.)

The final score that the red team made was 608 points, second highest score made in the world so far this season, and only 20 points off from a perfect score. They were able to design, CAD and build this robot with almost no adult assistance. Each of the teams at this high school have built their own robots and solved the games problems in unquely different ways. As the season progressed, I felt less and less like I could contribute from an engineering design perspective. At most I could offer advice around process and project management.

Bottom line: I felt old!

Let’s be honest, most high schoolers will look at their parents as old and behind the times. I certainly thought so when I was their age. As I move on in age, and my kids continue to grow in their own unique ways, I’m sure I’ll continue to feel more and more incapable of helping them intellectually.

And you know what? I’m good with that. I may not be able to keep up with them, but I’ll be there cheering them on from the sidelines.