I don't know how parents do it.

I babysat for Alex yesterday, who is a great kid, and doesn't even go up and down the stairs like my nephew. I was still exhausted by the end of the day. How do parents do it? What's more, how do single parents do it? Do you just get used to the exhaustion? Do you live in a state of hyperalert awareness just in case? Has anyone ever studied what kind of effect not being able to just zone out for about 12 years has on the human brain? It can't be good.

I have no idea how children were raised before the advent of PBS and Baby Mozart tapes. They're the best things ever. I suppose, of course, until the industrial revolution and such you had a group of adults looking after groups of kids, so you could "tag out" when necessary. If that's not an option, Mister Rogers and Baby Neptune are a good substitute.

Even with Mister Rogers running interference, you still can't leave the kid alone. So we got to play the "Auntie Sarah needs to pee" game. Ah, the joy of letting a one-year-old unspool the toilet paper as you attempt to set an Olympic Speed Peeing record, all the while wondering if you're scarring the kid for life. I guess it's like breast feeding -- until the kid is old enough to attach words to it, it's ok. When a kid can say "Allright, mommy, whip it out" or "Oooh! Watersports!" it's well past time to stop that process.

Parents of the world: I salute you. Now I'm going to take a nap.