5yo DS has tantrums where he refuses to walk or talk

[Sporadicus]

There is no reasoning with him when he slips into this mode. It will usually be when it's time to leave the house and/or while we are walking somewhere (could be anywhere). It's been happening for about 7 months now and I've reached the end of my tether.

He'll stop walking and refuse to move, if I walk away from him he'll walk extremely slowly - like a couple of centimetres at a time. He won't talk, he just makes this sort of 'hmm' noise.

He won't talk about how he is feeling or what he wants during or after one of these tantrums, nor will he talk about it when he's calm.

Usually I resort to taking his hand and making him walk along, which is horrible for both of us. On the occasions when I have been able (time-wise, on a quiet street etc) to have a stand-off with him, it has taken a teacher or a parent he doesn't know approaching him to make him walk to me.

On the school run if I can engage him in conversation before we start walking, I can usually avoid it. But I just can't sustain Minecraft small-talk for the entirety of every walk we go on, I have a DD and my own sanity to think of ... help!

[user1488397844]

Could you do a reward chart? Or a list of 5 things to spot on the walk? I know this is mind numbing but if you give him something to focus on it'll distract him from stopping. At 5 he knows it's unacceptable behaviour so if the above methods didn't work for mine there would be consequences. Also when calm you can lay out your expectations for the journey I.e. I know you're going to walk properly because you're five now and you can show us the way etc.