Different or Wrong?

Every family here has stories of cross-cultural differences when it comes to raising children. Different cultures have different ways of bringing up their kids, differences that appear at every stage of life. In East Asia, a lot of these differences spring from a more communal view of raising children. Some things are cute (and welcome): waitresses in some restaurants here like to take your kids and play with them while you eat. Some differences are well-intentioned but stressful- like the people who will walk up to my child and stick some unidentified object in her mouth.

And then there's this: while April was out shopping for some vegetables today, she had Cosi with her in a stroller. (Hey, if she's not able to take her out to play yet, she can at least take her out!) Cosi would much rather be out running than be strapped into the stroller, and she's not shy about making her preferences known.

While April was looking at the wares spread out before her, she was comforted by the knowledge that our daughter was strapped in and wouldn't be running into the street, especially since April is still in no shape to be chasing anyone. Then, when April next glanced at the stroller, Cosi was gone. A middle-aged woman passer-by saw Cosi struggling to get out and decided that, if the child wants out, let her out! Without consulting or even telling April, she unstrapped our three-year-old, who happily ran off.

Fortunately, rather than run into the street or off into any one of the nearby neighborhoods, or even grab the temptingly available watermelon cleaver, Cosi ran straight to the kiddie ride in front of a nearby storefront. Then April had to play the bad guy who straps her back into the stroller, while Cosi's liberator explains to the clearly novice mother, "But she wants out!"

So...is it different, or wrong?