in letting my children draw with chalk on the pavement outside our house?

[elegangle]

I've just had a mouthful of abuse form a couple of neighbours regarding our 2 children (7 & 5) drawing pictures with lumps of chalk found in the garden. We've let them draw on the driveway which leads up to the house but is not technically part of our property and a lady accross the road has asked them to come over and draw on the pavement that runs alongside her fence. Personally I don't understand the 'upset' that this is causing, they are pictures of animals, cars, planes etc. They have not written FUCK OFF or anything offensive but seemingly we are causing offense by allowing this. We live in a cul-de-sac of mixed council and ex-council houses.
So, AIBU in letting our kids have a bit of fun drawing pictures that'll be washed away in the next rainfall or should I stop them?

[TheMonster]

Does the lady over the road want them to draw alongside her fence so she can't see it?
I don't think YABU at all. It'll wash away with the rain.

[ragged]

yanbu, but be prepared for controversy! Some Mners will compare it to urinating in public or vandalism of the highest order.

[southeastastra]

of course they can play, some people forget they once probably did the same.

[southeastastra]

really ragged? i would be surprised if any mnetters woudl object to this

[OpinionatedMum]

YANBU. it was inoffensive and temporary. Can't see the problem.

[MrsDBouquetVAMOSRAFA]

No, YANBU.

Although, if they were really petty, they might complain and then a jobsworth from the council might get in touch about the 'graffiti'.

I saw something on the news about a lady who was cross as her neighbourhood was littered with dog poo. She went round clearing it up and chalking little flowers to let people know what she had done, I suppose in an effort to shame them into clearing up their dogs mess. She had a visit from the council who asked her to stop graffiting the pavements.

The world has indeed gone mad.

[tummytickler]

YANBU at all! What a bunch of miserable sods complaining about a few chalk pictures on a pavement! Mine do it all the time and if some one went to the trouble to complain I would be very

[nickelbabe]

YANBU.
unless the chalk they've found is not actually chalk but some weird plastic paint, it will wash away next time it rains.

have the neighbours never done this?

[AgentZigzag]

Drawing on the pavement with chalk on a par with vandalism ragged??

Hahahaha

Honestly, some people

[SquishyCinnamonSwirls]

YANBU at all.
Let them play and ignore the miserable gits.

[Hassled]

Kids on our road do this and I think it's lovely. I like trying to work out WTF it was that they meant to draw - you know that age when a child's drawing is just baffling until they explain that obviously it's a whale eating an apple?
I doubt there's a law against it - you just need to weigh up whether or not it's worth making enemies of your neighbours over this.

[ViviPru]

VIVID memory = when I was 6, my best friend and I drew chalk all over her parents patio without permission. Her Dad came home and this usually mild-mannered man went absolutely ballistic, face puce, bawling all manner of expletives at the top of his voice then disappeared inside, reappearing with her ELC blackboard and smashed it over his knee. He then went for a lie down.

Chalking really can produce the most absurd reaction - FACT.

[Catsmamma]

my mum would never let me chalk on the pavement.

and I don't think I'd let mine either! ....I would let them do it in our yard, but they are all too old now really.

[Psammead]

Beyond petty.

YANBU.

[AgentZigzag]

[shoc] at your friends dad vivi, disgusting lack of control.

[MugglesandLuna]

YANBU - my kids do it all the time.

[Psammead]

They are probably the same type to moan that kids never are allowed to play outside these days, too.

Grr.

[usualsuspect]

yanbu

ignore the miserable buggers

[AgentZigzag]

I didn't mean I thought ragged believed that MadamD

[OnlyWantsOne]

some one has drawn all over the pavement outside mine, DD and I followed the pitures all the way down the road, they're really cool.

YANBU

[bibbitybobbityhat]

Am really intrigued at the thought of Mumsnetters disapproving of chalking on pavements. Am tempted to search for old threads!