That floor is even filthier now after those two little poo-machines have been writhing and dribbling all over it.

OP here...the parents were both German.

On our 7 hour flight from YYC to HNL, after awhile it does take some creativity to keep the children occupied. Our two year old was eventually magnetized to the floor and wanted to escape to the aisle. At that point we just took him for a walk to the lavatory a few times, and tried to keep wedged into his own seat or the floor below his own seat, his preference.

Reminds me of an OZ flight a few years ago. Had two Korean families sitting barefoot in the aisles SHELLING PEAS.

In general, I think that there are more courteous parents than parents who are not courteous to other travellers. I've had some pretty negative experiences with kids on planes, but at the same time there are many flights that I am on that I don't even realize there were young children on the plane until I'm getting off.

However, I do think there is a subset of parents who really do not care how their or their child's behavior affects other passengers. They aren't even thinking about the other passengers on the plane. Which why we have kids playing in aisles, kids running around terminals, diapers getting changed in seats, etc. It stinks that a small group of parents who act as if everyone else around them should cater to them, when I think the majority are generally pretty courteous, or at least courteous enough that I don't even know that their children are on the plane.

I fail to see a problem. We there an emergency, Iwould be the first to easily trample them down like reeds on my way to the exit. No regrets about it either!

You are kidding right??? It is not kids fault for being in the aisle, just bad upbringing of the parents!!

News flash: people on the internet occasionally make empty, intentionally provocative boasts.

Someone has apparently never heard of trolling...

Every country has its share of clueless people.

Ah, fond memories of the dribbler. His parents were split between F and Economy and the dribber was a lap child (a very large lap child). His parents let him run back and forth for five hours between Mom and Dad, and the FA only intervened after he spent many minutes pounding on the emergency exit door in front of F.

After noticing a rather pungent odour next to my F aisle seat, I looked down and saw that someone needed a change. He had left his wet brown trail all the way down the aisle and back again...

No, the scary thing is sometimes that is really what they think in there irrational brain, maybe wouldn't do it but think it just the same

Similarly, flying out of Belgium a few years back, a Belgian kid kept coming over and trying to take my son's toys away. The family was seated way on the other end of the plane. No one country has a lock on bad behavior.

Can't children take some sort of Ambien/Benadryl cocktail that will put them to sleep for the duration of the flight?

It would definitely make it easier for the parents.

How did they get the howitzer through security?

Well, there goes any plans I had for lunch!

As to OP's experience, it sure seems like kids/toddlers playing in the aisle would be a safety issue; mostly for the kids. What would happen if the plane hit some CAT? I'm surprised that the FAs let this go on for more that a couple of minutes.