YOU HATE ME!

Did I miss a birthday gift to Abby this year? Did someone sneak in a copy of "The Most Commonly Used, Emotionally Charged Things to Scream at Your Mother" amongst all the other gifts, and I totally missed it? When did life become SOOOO horrible for my seven year old that she has to jump to the screaming conclusion that I "hate her and she's stupid?" It honestly hurts me to hear her say that and I wonder what in the world is in her head. Is she testing me? Does she want me to run after her with a tissue and say "No honey, I don't hate you!"? Am I doing the right thing by letting her run away screaming things at me? Honestly - where the heck is that parenting handbook!? Oh yea...there isn't one! Frick! The worst part is that she's the first child so it's all trial and error on her head...the guinea pig of the family. I feel badly for her but at the same time I HAVE to have a stronger will than her and that sucks! I wanna go back to college...it was MUCH easier back there.