"misbehaving" when tired

[MrsCosmopilite]

Just that really - DD (3.6) is a sociable, mostly well-behaved child, 95% of the time.
However, when she is tired she turns into hellspawn. Tantrums, screaming, lashing out...
All of those I can cope with. However, the latest 'development' is harder. She's taken to running off.
We were shopping last week and she was tired as she'd woken up at at 4am (very light in her room despite blackout blind) and not then slept properly. She'd already wriggled away from me and done a runner in the shoe dept of a large store. Thankfully I was able to chase after her and catch her. More worrying was that when DH decided to take her out to the car so she could snooze, she tore away from him at the store entrance and charged back in, dodging around display stands and generally trying her hardest to hide from him. She was running wildly around, screaming, and slipping out of reach. The only reason I know this is that I was still in the store, about to pay, and heard her shouting/screaming. I was able (luckily) to head her off in a corner of the shop and literally had to tackle her to the floor and hold her down.

In normal circumstances she'll behave very well, and will hold hands/trolley/basket.

I don't want to ban her from shopping, and generally we don't go out when she's tired but sometimes needs must.

Any ideas on how to diffuse the situation and explain to her why and how this is dangerous to do?

This may be one of those times when you need to shock her out of doing it again. If you're not normally a shouter, I would shout, grab her and shout. That's really all you can do in the moment.

When she's in a better mood, eplain that you're sorry you shouted, but you were very scared that she was going to get hurt, it's so dangerous to run away, she needs to hold your hand etc.

Keep hold of her hand when she's in a flighty mood.

Don't take for granted when she's good. Whenever she doesn't run off, tell her how good she is being and how proud you are of how sensible she is etc.

Have a consequence for the running off (in addition to the shouting), loss of a treat or losing a star from her star chart or something.

Reins.

Buy some and threaten her with them , is she going to be a baby or a big girl ? Or a hand strap to the buggy

She will grow out of it , it's such fun for them unfortunately !

Thanks both. I do have reins but haven't had to use them for ages, and we don't take the buggy out.
I will dig out the reins and take them with me next time.

And yes, I did shout.

We normally do follow up with consequences but I'd usually do something asap after whatever the event was.

Thankfully, after she had slept, she was far better. :)

Yep reins.
Last used them on DS at 3.5 after over a year of not using them. He'd had a period of running off. I sat and explained the importance of holding hands but to no avail. So the next time he ran I put reins on and told him I'd do the same every time until he understood he could be a baby with reins or hold hands nicely.

Only took once. Hasn't run since.