Would you punish your DC for this?

[Bootskates]

Can't seem to stop thinking about stuff from my childhood recently. I have a DD(6) and often think "I wouldn't have reacted that way if she did this" and it makes me really resent my parents and think they were really harsh (also think they made life harder for themselves being the way they were, someone was always in trouble for something, we weren't even bad kids).

Anyway, the incident I have been remembering tonight was from when I was probably between 8-10 years old. I was at my aunties, had stayed there the night before and was due to go home later on that afternoon. I was just sat watching TV whilst she got on with the housework when another auntie popped in with her kids and said they were on their way out, they were going bowling and invited me along. Auntie I was staying with said yes and off I went.

When I was dropped off home I was in trouble. I was late home, shouldn't have gone off with other auntie etc.

As an adult and a mother I just think wtf? I was a child in the care of an adult relative and she put me in the care of another adult relative I didn't just wander off?! I don't blame either auntie but if I was the parent in this situation I would ask them for a heads up next time if I'd had a problem with it. I wouldn't make it my child's problem.

Sorry for the long post, just sometimes struggle getting my head around some of this stuff. Aibu to think a kid shouldn't be in trouble in this situation?

They were unreasonable, my parents were the same and treated situations like that as if it was "obvious" what I should have done whereas it was actually hard to tell. I remember being in similar situations and not being sure if I'd get told off for not going with the auntie, because they'd asked, or get told off for going because my parents wouldn't know.
If I had genuinely done some thing against the rules and knew it, it would be okay almost!
If you're also like me, it left me doubting myself for a long time, and deferring decisions to other people out of habit because it left me with a sense that I was clueless and knew nothing. I was very annoying to work with.
The incident, and even the punishment may seem trivial but it will affect you for a reason and that reason might be bigger than the thing on its own.
My mum was from a poor country and in her eyes she was doing a good job - when she was young she was already working and taking care of siblings so if she had been in my shoes it would hav been okay for her if you know what I mean. Her peers would almost compete as well to who was the strictest - if you weren't then that was seen as bad parenting. Maybe she believed it.
Youre doing a great job by asking about it, thinking about it and looking for feedback. Getting a range of ideas, not just using your own experiences and listening to your children.