Toddler Tantrums

Today has been a very trying day- we've never had a tantrum like it, and I hope we don't again. 

We were out shopping and Alfie was walking about- when we got to the car park. I put him in his pushchair, he wouldn't sit down and was stood in it with his legs stiff so i decided that he could walk around the shops as he does like being a big boy and he gets so proud wandering around so I put his reins on and off we set to the shop. At first he was fine, he wandered around happily until I tried to get him to come the way I needed to go to get him some wellie socks and then the screaming started. He stood still, stamped his feet and was screaming. I was very self conscious as everyone was looking at us both so I was trying to calm him down, I manged to pick him up and move him towards the boys clothes without anymore screaming.  He still didn't want to go where I asked but he wasn't as bad as he was holding his wellie socks. 

The worst was yet to come- he was screaming, crying, laying on the floor and crawling in next- I felt like a rubbish parent that I couldn't control my child and I felt that people were looking at me thinking 'she obviously can't look after her child'... And they're right!! I obviously can't.

Why is my child kicking off when he doesn't get his own way- please tell me that he grows out of this!! What can I do to stop this happening? 

He likes being independent but he is only one and a half so a toddler of that age can't run wild. He knows what he wants but he can't also tell me- he points to what he wants but he doesn't quite understand that I need to do things aswell as him.

I literally feel so drained today and I know it's maybe the 'terrible twos' so i have to grow some balls and not care what others think and parent my way! I am quite proud as I kept calm and a few strangers were smiling and reassured me that I wasn't doing anything wrong. 

Let's hope tomorrow is a less tantrumed filled day!