Dad Daze: Just when you think you know everything about your child …

It’s common for parents not to know what’s percolating inside their kids’ brains. My son Eddie, 20, has been so covert since he was a prepubescent that the CIA sounds like a logical career path.

Jane, 12, isn’t the enigma Eddie often is, but she’s quiet, and I don’t quite get her musical taste and what she enjoys. However, Jane is a straight-A student who is the most laser-focused of my children.

Milo, 16, however, is the most like yours truly. My son, who was born within the same 13-hour interval as myself (who doesn’t love those early June birthdays?), shares many common denominators.

We’re both competitive, excel at the verbal, enjoy the same sports and always let each other know what we’re thinking and how we feel.

Well, perhaps I was wrong about the latter. During a recent chat, Milo casually mentioned that he might have seasonal affective disorder. Winter apparently bums out Milo.

I was completely taken aback when hit with the revelation. “I don’t understand,” I said. “Are you joking about having seasonal depression since you love hockey?”

“I do, and I had a great time playing this season,” Milo said. “Hockey is something I very much look forward to. It helps me get through the winter.”

I had yet to fully comprehend what he disclosed. “But you have no problem with the cold,” I said. “You loved our long weekend in Alaska in mid-January even though it dropped to -30.”

“Cold is not my biggest issue with winter,” Milo said. “Alaska was incredible. Now that I’ve been to all 50 states, I can say that Alaska is the most beautiful even though I’ve only seen it in winter.”

“Right,” I said, “All of the roads were white since they were covered by snow and ice.”

“Yes, and Alaska is so stunning,” Milo said.

“You even asked about housing up there,” I said.

“Only because I was wondering how affordable it is in Fairbanks,” Milo said. “I’m not looking to live there. It was just a question. I have a hard time with winter since you’re in the house so much, and you can’t do as much. I don’t like all of that darkness. It’s apparent when you look at how I did in elementary and middle school.”

I never put it together that during those years that Milo’s grades always dropped at the start of winter was perhaps due to depression. I thought Milo plummeted academically since he picked up his joystick around Christmas. I failed to connect the dots back when Milo played video games. My little wild man jumped on Xbox when winter commenced.

I also missed other clues. When my daughter Jillian, 23, visited a university in Pittsburgh, Milo, who was 12 at the time, didn’t understand why his sister would attend school at the gateway to the Midwest. “Why would anyone go to college in a cold weather city?” Milo asked.

Well, Milo is clear about his college plans. When Milo goes to college, he hopes to attend a school in the South or Southwest. “The weather is a factor, but so is being in a city,” Milo said. “I don’t want to be in the middle of nowhere. I want to be in a city so I can go to concerts, and I want to be where there is culture.”

So, don’t assume you know it all like I did with Milo. After spending countless hours in the car, I was somehow unaware that Milo is less than crazy about the season of perseverance. I’m not a detective, but I’m going to try my best to be more observant. Children can be a mystery at times, but occasionally what’s occurring is happening in plain sight, and it’s somehow missed.

I’m thankful to have the opportunity to try to understand by communicating as effectively as possible. It’s quite the process, but there is nothing I enjoy more than raising my children and helping them make the best possible choices.