I had an experience the other day that I hope will have the effect of preparing me for the inevitable day when Her Nibs becomes a teenager. When she took her bath, it was already past her bedtime, so she needed to finish quickly and get to bed. Well, she doesn't enjoy the part where I have to dump water over her head to get the soap and shampoo off. She took it especially hard this time, and when I asked her to get out of the tub, she freaked out. In a voice I will not soon forget, she said, "I'm not your daughter. I'm mummy's daughter. You don't love me." You can imagine how terrifying it was for me to hear that. I know she's just a little girl and doesn't really understand, but it cut like a knife. After a frank discussion, in which I explained that she IS my daughter and that I love her, she decided that it was all right, and that she loved me, too. Of course, she fell down just before going to bed, so she hated me again, and we had the same conversation again (with the same conclusion).
This is the lesson I've taken from it: I have a healthy relationship with Her Nibs. We can talk about things, and problems can be resolved peacefully (usually). I think it bodes well for the future. However, it also made me realize something: I'm terrified that someday she's going to say she doesn't love me and mean it. I think I'm going to have nightmares about that.
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