Kristin, you know how you're supposed to love your kids?  I'm pretty darn lucky because I like them too.  Liking them makes it easy to talk to them as (well) people.  In one of her books, Barbara Kingsolver once wrote a line for her main character (a parent (who happened to be female)) "Please don't talk to my [4 year old] daughter like she's a toddler.  She's a human being and she will understand if you talk to her like any other human."  

Although I am far from perfect implementation, that line has stuck with me from way before I had people carrying my genes.

Oh, and don't get me wrong . . . I too can't stand dishes in the sink at 6am.