Advice on how to deal with face-grabbing 2.4yo please

[SESthebrave]

DS is 2.4yo and in the last 10 days has started grabbing at my face, causing mild bleeding and scratches.

It happens when he's frustrated about not having his freedom. For example it happened twice today. First time we were walking along footpath by some fields. He ran off the path and down into one of the fields. I chased after him, picked him up and started to explain why I didn't want him running off. He looked at me and then grabbed my face with both hands. The second time it happened today was when I was trying to transfer him from his buggy to his car seat.

He is normally a happy easy-going child. So far this has only been directed at me although he tried to grab DH's face (but couldn't quite reach) this evening when DH was trying to get his nappy on him for bedtime.

This has been happening on an almost daily basis for about 10 days. When in his bedroom we quietly put him in his cot, point out how he has hurt mummy and ask him to say sorry. Downstairs we do have the naughty step. But when out and about it's more difficult.

Nearly every time he grabs his own face afterwards and then asks me to kiss it better.

Any tips or advice?

It's a phase more than likely, the terrible 2s, been through something like that myself, not as bad though....

Sorry can't be more helpful! My older daughter at 2 just threw a temper-tantrum in the middle of my favourite store, did what the book I had said, and walked away and ignored her, when she saw I had disappeared from immediate area, she stopped fussing picked herself up and that was it.

Later CD

Thank you CD.

Today has been a bit better - only one mild incident. Hoping this week will be ok as DH is away with work for most of it (sometimes it is useful to have DH there to "handover" to if he gets too grabby as in that way I'm not giving him attention as a result).