Should I Hug my Toddler ?

So my toddler (3 yrs old) has been cranky today to the point of slapping me and throwing his stuff. He's clearly having a bad day probably because he did not nap enough.I thought It was too much when he hit me on the face so my initial reaction was to hit his bottom - he was wearing a diaper so it shouldn't be so painful. He was startled and he screamed more.I explained to him that he needs to stop hitting me. I stood there watching him cry and bury his face on the bed. He raised his head and screamed, "I'm angry!", repeatedly."Why, what makes you angry?," I asked and he kept telling me he's angry. He's still crying at this point so I apologized.My heart melted so I went to pick him up and let him sit on my lap as he cry and bury his face on my chest, still screaming that he's mad.I don't want to remind him again of the wrong things that he's done because I already said it earlier. So I kept him in that position until he calmed down.Usually I just ignore his tantrums, but since he was expressing his feelings for the first time, my heart tells me I should entertain him.He is OK now and I hope he realizes that it is good to tell me how he feels.Edit: Thank you for your comments. You made me realize that telling your child not to be violent but you hit them anyway is hypocritical. via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2Hq3isX