I also have two young kids and can absolutely relate to the author.
Not as big as the context switch that is between code and browsing the GUI of your app.
TDD gives you a sense of control. You know that you are done once your tests (read: documented requirements) pass.
And yes, I realize not doing TDD is not the same as not doing tests at all, but writing tests post-fact is just an excuse to wiggle out of writing them. "It worked when I coded it!"
But once it's working, it's the opposite of overwhelming. The red-green-refactor cycle of TDD lets you take work in very small chunks. And because you get great test coverage as part of it, there are way fewer landmines. For me at least, TDD in a good code base is the most soothing and productive way to work I've found so far.