Am I missing something big here, or isn't there a law that ensures that small children fly next to older family members, called the Families Flying Together Act? Whenever I mention it at the ticket counter, each of our children is seated by an adult. We may not all be together, but the airline works to make sure our children are taken care of, so we don't have to ask fellow passengers to help.
According to this, the law did pass but the actual DOT regulations to implement it haven't been developed: https://www.usatoday.com/story/trav...insiders-really-think-their-rules/1003984001/
I wouldn't hold your breath for that to happen in an administration that is trying to loosen, not tighten, regulations.