.... to let my children draw with chalk on the pavement?

[FourArms]

A neighbour of mine made a lot of comments last time the kids down the street drew on the pavement with chalk. Unfortunately that time it was actually a bag of plasterboard they'd found somewhere , which didn't wash off for ages, but I didn't have a problem with it. Neither did any of the other mums on the road who also watched them doing it. In fact, I thought writing slow down at the start of our cul-de-sac on the road was a good idea.

Anyway, yesterday I let my 2 yr old draw on the pavement outside my house with some chalk. Before I knew it 6 other children had also joined in, and had a lovely time drawing, playing hopscotch and writing their names etc. Proper ELC blackboard chalk, so will wash off next time it rains.

Cue a knock on the door and some sarky comments from the same neighbour about how it's not on to let them do this and makes the place look a real mess. AIBU to let them do this?

[BetteNoire]

YANBU unreasonable about chalk.

What do you mean by plasterboard? Is that the same as builder's plaster?

If so, YABU.

Where did they find the bag of plaster - can't plaster burn skin?

[themoon66]

No YANBU.

We used to do this as kids in the 60s All kids did it. It was and still is harmless fun.

Anyway, it rains every day in british summertime.

[lunavix]

pfft yes of course its ok.

Got the same from my old neighbours when kids drew on pavement and the brick wall next to my house.

Also got abuse from neighbour when ds ran a stick down the wall/fence as walking (I remember doing that as a kid!), and climbed a tree.

Probably the same people that moan about the youth of today and TV

[Madlentileater]

you are absolutely not being unreasonable. They need to get a life!
If I was your neighbour I'd be delighted, esp if it was my kids joining in.

[FourArms]

I think it was a bag of plasterboard from the skip of a house being renovated nearby. I didn't give them that bag, they found it, and had spent hours playing with it before we got home that day. No burns or anything.

Yesterday when I instigated the play, it was normal ELC blackboard chalk. In fact, the plasterboard (or whatever it was!), worked much better and lasted longer. We went through 20 chalks in half an hour!

[Friendlypizzaeater]

My LO teacher told me to get him some chalk - anything to encourage him to write !!!

[lilyloo]

I let my dd do this and before i knew it had about ten kids drawing all over the road and driveway they had a fab time and dp washed it all away with the hosepipe when he came home (in rare dry spell) no yanbu

[Nappyzoneneedsanewname]

It sounds fun - in fact i am going to get some chalk for the start of the six weekys on Wed - i too will enjoy writing sloooooooooow down .

[Hulababy]

YANBU re normal chalk. It'll have washed off in the next day or two with our weather.

[TooTicky]

What grumpy, boring neighbours you have

[FourArms]

She only has step-children who aren't resident with her. Nobody with children has said that they mind. Just her. Of course, I'm sure most people would be too polite to say if they did mind, but surely this is something that kids do. They're kids.

[madamez]

POint out to the neighbour that it will wash off. Ask him if he's got the Queen coming round for hot sex tea in the next hour, if so you will getthe DC to wash it off when they have finished drawing. Otherwise suggest to him that he takes the stick out of his arse and beats himself about the head with it.

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

It's lovely - nice that they all play together too.

My neighbours kids come over the fence to draw on my patio with DS as they are not allowed (apparently) to do it in their garden...

[whatdayisit]

Would you let them do it on the path in your garden/on your patio?

[juneybean]

No you are not being unreasonable, with the amount of rain, it'll wash away.

It's a very fun activity for children! Tell them to sod off!

[FabioTheWhisperingCat]

I think it's charming.

[FourArms]

I might wash it away tomorrow..... to make a clear bit for the next lot.

The slow down thing worked really well. Makes you think about the fact there will be kids on the street. We have over 10 under 5's regularly motoring up and down on bikes, trikes and scooters, so it's good if people take the corner slowly!

[foxymolly]

My mum used to draw hopskotch (sp) squares for me and my friends to play on. We loved it.

[Tatties]

YANBU

What great fun for the kids and does no harm to anyone

"makes the place look a real mess" -

[aGalChangedHerName]

YANBU I let my dd's and mindees do this all the time. My neighbours wouldn't dare complain tho

Not to my face anyway lol

[FourArms]

I would certainly let them do it in our back garden, but we've got pebbly concrete IYKWIM so the chalking doesn't work as well as the lovely black tarmac pavement out the front. Also then I can be watching DS1 cycling up and down whilst also entertaining DS2.

It's a lady that has complained by the way.

DH has suggested that I ask her to call the police if she thinks it's so terrible and see what they have to say about it.

[Tatties]

We draw numbers and hopscotches with chalk on our patio and paths around the garden all the time. Ds loves it and they never last very long!

[RustyBear]

When I was a child (over 40 years ago!) we lived in an area where you'd dig up great lumps of natural chalk in the garden, so we never had to buy it - we were always chalking everywhere.
Our drive was gravel, so we put our hopscotch grids on the pavement - my mum, who was generally pretty strict about us not doing anything to bother other people just told us to make sure we didn't get in people's way & be careful throwing the stones onto the squares.
So, I think she is BU, not you!

[aGalChangedHerName]

One grumpy old shite complained that one of the kids in the street got drops of water on his car during a supersoaker fight once.

Can you imagine moaning about water hitting your car?

[FourArms]

Well, I think that's unanimous, so I feel vindicated in buying another massive tub of chalks now. Anybody know of any good ones for pavement drawing... I find blackboard chalks don't last long enough!!!