“Just because you think something is great and fun, don’t get mad when others don’t share your opinion.  Be OK that you may be alone there.  Everyone doesn’t have to agree with you.”

Yesterday, I pretty much twisted my Daughter’s arm to go for a walk with me.  It was raining a drizzly steady rain but I wanted to get some extra steps in so I “invited” her to walk with me.  Truthfully I dragged her out of the house because I thought it would be fun to walk in the rain..splash in puddles like I never let her do as a kid because her shoes would get wet and she might catch a cold.  UUGGHHH seriously though, I deprived her of joy as a kid that I should have joined her in.  Fast forward to last night.  I had planned a 2-mile walk and did take an umbrella to cover us but she was too mad at me for making her come out to have fun.  I tried singing and dancing while holding the umbrella over us but she wanted no part of it so I stopped.  I also cut my walk from 2 miles to 3/4 of a mile and called it a night.  She wasn’t having fun and she went from happy to cranky all because I THOUGHT it would be an enjoyable time.

You can’t make people like what you like.  You can’t force them to be happy doing something just because you are happy doing it.  As I found out it ruins the experience for you and them and trashes the happy mood you had when you started out. Now I know I’ll have to find someone else to play in the rain with or just go by myself.