O.K. well I have been 'mothering' and grandmother 37 years.
My advice, Never ever let it happen.
Now you may be saying 'Oh yeah right'!
Non of my boys were (allowed) to throw one in public.
If it looked like one could happen, the child was instantly removed from the area, put into the car and driven home.
Very very firmly, I would say:''You will not return today', to the shopping centre''.That tells the child they will 'miss-out', even though they may not really have wanted to go..lol :) The thought of not getting something, is a great tool with children.....
I would also say to my boys:
''If you ever do it again'', the same thing will happen, and you will return home, and go in your room.
I tyred it again, and again till I won!
You have to WIN every single time.No matter how badly you needed milk or bread ..... you have to do this until your child is able to ''play nice''.
Parents become 'victims'.
When I was a child 60 years ago, one would never see a child have a tantrum.
So take heart, your the parent and you deserve peace, when shopping.
It may sound like hard work, but well well worth it, stop it the very first time it happens, and It WILL stop believe me.
Simply put it is a 'chess game', and you have to 'check-mate' every single time.
That is the key to bringing up children, they Must know who is in charge.
When it happens, they know they are safe, and looked after.A child left to have that tantrum feels helpless,while it is happening, in public and really quite cruel for the child.
Bad parenting is to let the child sit, scream and feel isolated, with strangers all around.
I shake my head when seeing parents do this.
Pick the little one up, and take in a gentle way to the car, not an angry way.
That will only bring fear to the child, and they deserve to feel loved and safe.
But! they also need to know who is calling the shots!
Oh! by the way....wait till they get in their 30's and still have a tantrum!
That's a lot of fun toooooooo (not).LOL