Is this normal (3.5 yr old)

[Divorcingdiva]

My parents took my children out for the day yesterday and my DS has a tantrum in a restaurant because (according to him) he felt like he had been given the wrong plate. He was also totally shattered which will have added to the tantrum. So he had a tantrum and my dad took him out to the car at which point he promptly fell asleep.
He is pretty good usually I think but is definitely harder work than my older dc has ever been. I am clear with boundaries but am not a shouter and there is probably an element of giving in to him, if I had even there I would probably just have swapped plates as seems like a battle not worth fighting.
Anyhow, my parents are saying that they are worried he hasn’t learnt not to have tantrums in restaurants. I pointed out he hasn’t been to one for months and was also shattered which makes everything worse.
But I suppose I see tantrums etc as normal and now I am wondering if I actually he should have grown out of it by now. It is really unusual for him but less so when tired

It's perfectly normal for a 3.5 year old to have a tantrum, and the fact that it was in a restaurant is entirely irrelevant as hey have no concept of what that means anyway. Given the past few months as well, I assume many younger children will struggle to adapt to a world outside their own four walls at the moment. Plus everything is always made worse by hunger and tiredness.

My 3 year old has tantrums when tired too and your dc was clearly shattered as they fell straight asleep. Your parents might not remember clearly what it's like with young children

Thank you - I am starting to worry I have no idea what I am doing. My dd6 is and always has been the easiest going and sunniest child no tantrums etc and always listened to no/boundaries etc

It's normal especially if they're tired.

It sounds as though your dad dealt with it brilliantly though.

@Divorcingdiva

Thank you - I am starting to worry I have no idea what I am doing. My dd6 is and always has been the easiest going and sunniest child no tantrums etc and always listened to no/boundaries etc

Kids are weird things though because you might find she turns into a difficult teenager but your youngest breezes through the teenage years.

He did but I have had a massive guilt trip about my dad having to sit in the car with him and not getting to eat etc etc

Worra- I have said that many times, if she is anything like both her parents the teenage years will be hell

Tantrums my 3 year old has had in the last 24 hrs:
Sainsbury’s x2: because I wouldn’t buy pink fabric conditioner (we didn’t need it, she just saw it was pink), and because she wanted to buy the crackers with the pictures of the cheese ...because she likes cheese
Today: she wanted my dinner that was the same as her dinner, she wanted her cousins hula hoop whilst holding her own hula hoop....there were a dozen more I can’t remember what they were.

Sounds like your father dealt with it great, don't feel guilty it's only 1 meal for him.

I think some tantrum and some don't and you never get 2 kids the same, be kind to yourself.