Complex sentence: He is the oldest child of the family and is friends with T.J., but in the end realizes how he was changing while Papa is away he feels that he's the man of the house and needs to keep his family safe.
Split into simpler sentences: He is the oldest child of the family and is friends with T.J., but in the end realizes how he was changing. While Papa is away he feels that he's the man of the house and needs to keep his family safe.