"I hate mommy"

I knew this day would come. Even before I was pregnant, I anticipated hearing the words - "I hate Mommy." To be honest, I didn't hear them directly from my 5-year-old. My husband repeated her declaration for me. The funny thing is, he's actually responsible for the incident that sparked her hate speech.
What was the crime? Changing the sheets on her bed. One morning last week, Faith and I both decided it was time to remove the snowman flannel sheets that ceremoniously appear around her birthday. We agreed she could help me put on her flowered sheets when she came home from school. The problem is, Dad beat us to it and chose the wrong sheets. I knew he was in trouble and warned him to be prepared for an emotional reaction when she saw the fresh striped linens already on her bed. I didn't realize I'd be the target of her outburst.
As usual, I tried to use this as a lesson. While I know she doesn't really "hate" me, I feigned hurt feelings for hours. I wanted her to know her words can have consequences.
"I didn't know you didn't do it," she explained.
It didn't matter, I told her, because you shouldn't "hate" anyone over a pair of sheets. You shouldn't hate anyone. Period.
There were plenty of hugs and kisses to make up, but I'm not sure she saw the error of her ways. There will likely be more opportunities to reinforce the moral of this story. She won't be a teenager for 8 more years.
- Liz