ok, lets see if I convey what I'm thinking correctly - ha! My last child is 17, nearly out of the nest, out of my control - for the last few years I've been handing control of (and responsibility for) her life over to her more and more - after all, she is going to have to stand on her own. That is the purpose of raising your children, so that they can some day fly free. Personally I am looking forward to the next chapter in my life, whether it be staying where I am or moving to where my older child is with her children. I am considering taking in a teenager who just needs a place to live and finish high school; I don't think i can do taking in foster children per say, but I could give a teenager a safe place. We'll see what I think when that time comes though.

I went through a period with my older child where I was clueless until she hit 25 or so, was weird and I just backed away from her life and let time deal with it. And with the surly teenager I share space with - there is part of me that believes they go through the surly anti-social/anti-parent stuff in order to break the ties, not just cut em but sever them, ha, so that when the time comes they can go forward without it destroying them.

I knew/know a woman who lived in her parents house until she was over 45 - never married, no kids, my perception is there is really something wrong with them NOT wanting to leave home. I am so glad mine want out - want to go out into life and experience it. Its scary, yeah, I can't protect her, but, she's only on loan to me, my job is to get her ready to fly solo.