Pavement Chalk

[tiredandsadmum]

Lived in my house 18 years. Good relations with all the neighbours. Just had my 1st complaint tonight. DS (age 8) and several children (similar ages) in the road have been drawing on the road and pavement with pavement chalk. They had a blast. Neighbour has complained on the grounds it looked unsightly and apparently other neighbours are also not keen.

There is drawing outside her house, so I apologised, said I would ask DS not to draw there ( I don't think he did but was part of the gang). I did make it clear though that I was happy for DS to continue to draw outside my house. She was really grumpy about it. I did then explain that it was pavement chalk and would wash away the minute it rained. She said it isn't raining now and walked off . I feel I have been polite, have said its not OK for them to draw on her frontage and would deal with that but want them to have safe fun outside mine. AIBU?

(She was also really fed up with my cat following her back down the road and being over friendly but that would be another thread!)

Tell her that her cat's-bum-mouth face is unsightly and you don't want to see it in the street

Ridiculous of her - it's fun and cheerful and washes away - innocent entertainment and colourful and cheerful while it lasts: unlike your neighbour!

I'd be out there in the dead of night chalking a penis on the pavement outside her house.

Not really, but I expect she's probably the sort of person who also complains that children shouldn't be indoors playing computer games and should be outdoors instead.

YABU - chalk is messy.

What you need to give DC is water balloons that they can throw about the place - then the balloons can be picked up easily once popped.

Or super soakers - then no mess at all, let them out the front with them.

Better still let them have a nice drum kit or recorder in the garden, that makes no mess at all! Your neighbours would be delighted.

I like seeing chalk on the pavement, it's nice to know kids are still allowed play outside.