The leaning over the seat back & chattering to other pax I think is minor - if an adult can't switch off to that well......
Just an explanation of that, I was referring to the annoyance to other passengers.
As was pointed out to me, there is of course a safety issue if the a/c hits turbulence with an unrestrained child stood on a seat.
HUMAN BEINGS who have different needs to the rest of us for a couple of years.
Absolutely, they also do not have the same view of danger to adults which is why, it is endemic on their parents to ensure their safety by following the instructions given by those trained to recognise the risks of their behaviour.
(That's not to say that a lot of adults have a good view of what is dangerous either)
Lets face it if the aircraft hits sudden turbulance do you think an unrestrained 2 or 3 year old would react quickly enough to brace itself?
If that child is injured, despite warnings to the parents by cc, who do you think is responsible, the cabin crew or the parents?
In this, stupid?, world of taking legal action who would get taken to court if another passenger was injured?
Seat Belts
As I understand it there are two modifications that can be fitted: -
An extension so the belt will fit a single larger passenger
Infant belts that are a separate belt that attaches to the main seat belt.
I would suggest that if anyone is using the former type to go around two people (adult & child) that in the event of sudden severe braking there is a high risk of injury to the child being crushed between the adult & the belt. (this is why in the UK at least it has always been illegal to use a car seatbelt in this manner).
With the second type if the child is older, larger or heavier than the design limits of the belt, it may not restrain them in an emergency.
That is the risk that cc are advising parents of and by ignoring their advice parents accept responsibility for any result
Face it though aircraft accidents are few and far between so safety is dumbed down in the eyes of many. Car accidents are common so parents usually follow the safety laws there.
Part of the issue in this and other threads is the difference in culture (that leads to the "we pay your wages" cry).
The cabin crew (and flight deck) are trained to view their prime (legal) responsibility as ensuring passenger safety on the aircraft and taking charge in an emergency. This aspect is NOT pushed by the airlines as that doesn't sell seats. (though oddly car makers use advanced safety features to sell cars)
The passengers view, in part because of the airline advertising, the prime duty of the cabin crew as passenger service & comfort.
A lot of the comments on these forums are owing to this culture difference.
Oddly I thing that the airline staff are aware of this difference, but it seems that a lot of passengers haven't actually worked it out.