A Little Mom Vent

What do you do in those situations when another mom is interacting with your kid in a way that you disagree with? I don't mean a stranger disciplining my child...I think I know how I would handle that. We went to the play area at the mall this week, and Emmeline was having a great time following two older girls around the play area. I was completely exhausted, and told her when we got there that I would be sitting down. I told her if she needed help to come get me, but that I couldn't lift her onto the equipment. Not that I do that anyway; I think it's a safety hazard to put small children onto play equipment if they can't get on themselves. I never do that, not at school, not with my own kid. Anyway, there's a train at this particular play area, with two open carts, like coal carts. She wants in there in the worst way. Every time we go, she's after me to put her in. As soon as we got there, she goes straight to the cart, and looks at me from across the playground. I shake my head no. Ok, she moves on. Ten minutes later, I see the mom of Em's two new BFFs lifting her onto a little slide. Repeatedly. Then, the girls make their way to this coal carty thing. Yup, Other Mom lifts my kid into it. She wasn't doing anything wrong - she was being nice to someone else's kid. I couldn't be mad, but was thinking dammit! I told Em no, that she has to do it herself! And as an aside, she CAN. She's tall enough to get herself into this thing, she's just not adventurous enough to try something like that until she's positive she can do it. Which I LOVE...makes for far fewer injuries generally. So the point is, what could I/should I have done with this mom? As all this is going on, I'm also being chatted up by a mom with three kids, who as it turns out, is running for the state Senate. As soon as Candidate Mom left, I hauled my huge self up off the seat and went to talk to Em, letting her know we only had 5 minutes before we had to leave. Helpful Mom told me she thought my daughter was adorable. I was worried I was going to get judgement for letting my kid run all over the play area without helping her, but I think H.M. saw my incredible midsection and gave me a break. I said thanks, and we left pretty quickly after that. I think this lady was really nice, and I know I would be upset to think that I undermined another mom when I was trying to be kind. I don't know - moms can be so sensitive, and I didn't even know how to broach this with a woman I don't know, so I let it go.