Is chalking vandalism??

[nappyaddict]

The other day we went to the park and DS was begging to use the new chalks I had bought him in town earlier. So I let him have them and he was drawing on the playground floor and also the brick wall and then we drew a hopscotch together and I showed him how to play it. I heard one woman say very loudly (i think she was doing it on purpose so i would hear) to her friend "FGS it's no wonder we have so many people vandalising the park if people are going to teach their toddlers to do it". I'd never really thought about it in that way tbh as it washes off in the rain. Would you let your DC do it?

[KingCanuteIAm]

At home or on the pavement outside home, but not in the park. TBH though, my dc are encouraged to do it at school so the vandalism lesson seems to be part of the school system

I would have had to fight very hard not to tell silly lady to keep her judgmental beak out

[southeastastra]

yes, it'll just wash off, we encourage it in our parks

[moomaa]

I let them do it in our garden and when they are old enough will let them do it in the street outside our house but I probably wouldn't do it in the park because I know it (unreasonably IMO) makes some people cross.

I would have said something to the woman, along the lines of 't washes off, what's the harm in letting them have some fun', but that's just me.

[hana]

yup.

we chalk up the park all the time, and don't see a problem at all. harmless good fun

not sure I'd do a wall tho

[TsarChasm]

I'm a bit undecided on this. I know it's probably un-pc of me, but I really don't like it and def don't encourage dc to do it.

I think it looks awful and is kind of disrespectful (old fashioned). Unless it's at home of course.

Having said that, our school sometimes use chalks outside on the ground, so it's probably just me.