izusek via Getty Images Hearing your child say “I hate you!” for the first time can be a shocking and upsetting experience for a parent. “When coming from a child in whom there is generally a love-based relationship, ‘I hate you’ is a normal part of emotional and psychological development,” said psychotherapist Noel McDermott. “How parents deal with it models for the child how difficult emotions are managed. If we can learn that I can ‘hate you’ and continue to love you, we are learning some very healthy lessons.” So how exactly should parents approach hearing “I hate you” from one of their children? Below, McDermott and other experts share their advice.