Chloe is definitely going through some kind of difficult stage. Do the terrible 7s exist? If not, I’m officially coining a new term: the “sucky 7s.”

It’s been challenging over the last few days. Having her home from school doesn’t help. Kids should be in school all year long, with just a day off here and there. Not too many days off in a row, because that’s when they start going bonkers on you.

It’d be easy to attribute her recent behavior to my return to work. But that’d be giving me too much credit. So I don’t know what it is. But it’s tough, and it’s not much fun. And we’re at a bit of a loss as to how to handle her.

Mind you, although I’m complaining about her, she really is a big-hearted, loving child. But she just takes things so personally, and gets frustrated so easily. It can’t be hormones – we have a few more years before that, I hope. Although maybe she’s suffering from some premature aging disease…

Chloe is a lot like me. A lot like I was at her age. And I wasn’t an easy kid. But I wonder, could she have really inherited all of my annoying genes? That may be part of it. She must also be taking cues from us. But I’m a bit at a loss.

Parenthood can be so frustrating. For every step forward, I feel like we take a few steps back. I hope that her special papa day tomorrow will set her straight – at least for the next week.