Phase or Not?

You know when your kids are going through a growth spurt and they sleep and eat a lot.  

Does anyone else think that their kids go through a stage where they are always whining and always throwing a fit?  Cause I do.  My two year old, Reagan cries every single time she doesn't get her way.  Yeah, I know your thinking that is just kids.  But it isn't.  Madi, my eldest didn't do that.  Payton, my 4 year old never did it until now, now that her sister is doing it.  

Their temper tantrums are ridiculous.  I've tried the, lets be calm and talk her threw it.  She just screams at me and throws herself backwards.  I've tried the walking away, which seems to work the best when we are home, but it doesn't work of  course in stores.  We've tried the spanking and timeouts. For the moments those work but in the long run it does nothing.  

I am out of options, I don't know what else to do.  Does anybody else come across this issue or is it just me and my crazy, rambunctious girls?