If you can conjure up any dusty cobweb-covered memories from childhood, you probably remember how kids hated having to go to sleep. Every night was a dramatic power struggle between my parents, myself, and consciousness. Eventually I would succumb – but not before asking the most inane and convoluted questions possible as a sort of stalling tactic. Things are different as an adult. I would like to be sleeping most of the time. If you’re sleeping, you’re usually not feeling pain, sadness, or a general distaste for existence. While I can go to sleep whenever I want (as long as I’m not on the job), parents have it a bit harder. In order to sleep, they need their kids to go to sleep. Which means they’re subject to the deep questions they once asked their parents. 

Twitter user @missmulrooney experienced this frustrating phenomenon last night when her four-year-old asked «How does the human body work?» when she was supposed to be going to bed. After @missmulrooney shared the anecdote on Twitter, other parents chimed in to share their pain. While the tales involve frustration, they’re also pretty damn funny – and relatable for anyone who has been a kid or made one of their own.