LOL, Ahhh the amazing silence that follows that scream. It happened to me just the other day in Burlingame Fred Meyer. It actually hushed all 10 checkout lines; as well as produce a few vacant stares accompanied unknowingly by a silent 'O' mouth formation.
What did I do? I marched toward my young son and immediately took him over to the housewares section and disciplined him. Now is the time that you have to set the standard and nip this habit that is about to form. My son started about the same age. One swat to the diapered fanny is alarming (not painful)to them, but you need to immediately follow it up with lots of love and a gentle explanation. Hold and rock him for a bit with lots of 'I love you's'. The key is consistency and follow-through!
After the first couple of times all I had to do was produce a wooden spoon when I could see a meltdown coming. We have wooden spoons EVERYWHERE. I would carry one in my backpack purse with the handle sticking out as a gentle visual reminder.
This is an effective reminder and a personal accountability that is learned early on. Aside from the other day, it has been almost six months since a scream like that.
Ha ha ha, aren't they just so pure in sound too? Oh, what a blessing to have a strong-willed child. It is hard, but you must be a strong woman or God wouldn't have blessed you with one. As I have said before, future leaders are not mild mannered children. You have a future leader on your hands. It is up to you just what KIND of leader he will be.
J.