The probelm these days is the dismal standard of parenting coupled with mamby pamby legislation.
Go back 20-30 years and people would still wear their Sunday best, flying was something special - unruly children were either forced to behave or more likely were not from families who were financially able to fund the ticket price.
I really do sympathize with the really young kids suffering ear discomfort and both unable to equalise it while being too young to be told how to do so. This is a problem that only exists during climb and descent. For the idiot children of idiot parents who fail to control their brats during the cruise I feel nothing but contempt. When I was a child, unruly behaviour in public would be met with a "clip around the ear" - worked a treat, there were very few times I misbehaved. Inept government is assisting the breeding of the human equivalent of vermin.
RIX