keep passing the open windows

Friday I received a call to chaperone a middle school dance this weekend.  I agreed and offered up the service of my spouse.  I expected some mild grousing on the subject from my middle schoolers.  Instead I was met with this response:

“You are so mean.  I hate you!”

“I hate you!  You must hate me to do this to me; but I hate you more.”

“I am scarred for life.  I hate you!” 

“I am going to go far away for college and never come back because I hate you!”

“I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!”

Notice a trend here?  My daughter is very dramatic, but usually about things like getting a cell phone (”Don’t you care if I get kidnapped?  I could get kidnapped and then you would never see me again… all because you didn’t buy me a cell phone.” )  Or cleaning her room (”I’ll never get it done!  You put too much pressure on me I have too much to do, etc….”) My tactic is usually to pay little attention to these outbursts; I’ll send her to room to calm down and deal with her then.  But this amount of grief over my presence at a dance was upsetting;  am I really that embarrassing? I wonder because my son’s response to the news was calmer than my daughters, but not much less damning.