Toddler tantrums.

Last week I was shopping with my little one and he decided to have the mother of all tantrums because I dared to ask him to hold my hand and not to run off- I know, right, evil mother, what was I thinking.
It was a gale force 10. We had shouting, screaming, crying and then finally sitting on the floor and refusing to move.
The feeling of eyes glaring at me accompanied with various sounds of tutting, I wanted the ground to swallow me up, I was horrified. But then it occurred to me my child is just trying to express himself in the only way he currently knows.
 Young child have trouble expressing themselves. Imagine if you couldn’t explain to someone how you were feeling, or what you wanted. You would probably end up having a tantrum.  
The fact that then other people around, in this case other parents or expectant parents, (I was in Kiddicare) feel the need to judge is just unnecessary and they really have no right.  As parents we need support, you know the look some parents give you, the “I’ve been there look.” Not to feel like we are raising a monster or are socially inept.
My little one is getting better with his words (only 18 months old so not expecting miracles) and one day he will be able to express himself without screaming and shouting , but until then I just hope people will be more understanding when a child is having a meltdown, it is just part of growing up. 

Have you ever had a similar experience?
Toddler had a meltdown in middle of a public place?