We have two daughters, 2 and 3 years old, 13 months apart.
Our oldest has over the past several months taken to the "I'd rather do precisely the opposite of what you just asked me to do" mindset. Some examples of this are requests as simple as please come here, stop jumping on the couch, etc. There are (more often than not) occasions where we ask her to please just come to us (think, if we're trying to leave the house), and she deliberately runs away to do something else.
I want to believe this is just her 3-year-old way of saying,
I'd rather not do whatever you're wanting me to come there to do, so I'm going to run to play with my toys instead, regardless of you repeatedly calling for me.
My primary concern here is for her safety. I've noticed the same sort of behavior when I pick her up for daycare. I get that she's super excited to go home, but the daycare has automatic doors when leaving the lobby; I often have to run and grab her arm to stop her from potentially running outside into the driveway, where parents park to walk in and pickup their children.
I'm more concerned now that her younger sister has picked up on this behaviour, and has started exhibiting the same sort of responses to us wanting them to just come here, or hold my hand.
The only option we have sometimes is to hold their hand tight enough that they can't let go, for their own safety.
I honestly just want to hear someone say:
Yeah buddy, this is 100% normal.
But if it's not, then I need to know so we can work out how to correct it.