To let my DD walk on the wall?

[PrincessWatermelon]

Like any other children, my 2 DDs (2 and 4) love walking on garden walls. There are some especially good ones near the school. No one has told us off, but I do wonder what the 'done thing' is. Obviously I'm careful they only walk on a sturdy wall and don't touch/harm any plants/fences, etc. Do you think this is ok or AIBU?

Even I see that the spectrum starts from really pissed off to absolutely joyful - im just surprised that people can't get their heads round the fact that some people would actually be annoyed by people potentially damaging their property.

I think MN is a parallel universe - it's fine to risk damaging people's property but don't you park in a non legally enforceable, courtesy, P&C space unless you have a child with you

What is the difference rolls eyes

I have railings. I was relaxed about the odd cyclist chaining their bikes to them but pissed off when a thief cut through the bar to pinch the bike. Even more pissed off when the cyclist demanded to know why I hadn't noticed anything untoward about his precious bike

I had to pay to replace it. There's now a sign up forbidding the chaining of bikes to the railings. That annoys me because the sign is ugly and makes me look petty. But the thing is, it cost £125 plus VAT

Between what?

I don't let mine - like I don't let them walk on peoples drives/grass. It's not theirs.

I'm guessing that the people who are not bothered or happy to have kids walk on their walls are not the same ones crying about people turning around in their drive way. That's pretty obvious, isn't it?

I don't because I've been on Mumsnet too long. I've never heard of anyone outside of this forum being annoyed about it i.e. having someone else get annoyed at their kid for doing it.

What I mean is, when it gets broken and you have to pay for it, your tolerance evaporates. If someone said: 'Oops! Sorry. I've broken your property, I must pay for it and I won't do it again,' that would be fine. But they don't.

That said, I am a bit baffled by most MN parking threads about cul-de-sacs and driveways because I don't live in one and don't have a car so every fucker parks outside my house and I think that's all right. Which is just as well because I can't stop them.

YABU - People's own walls is not okay. I'd do what my mum did if I was getting kids on my wall. Plant a load of big holly bushes in her garden right up against the wall so the kids couldn't walk along it without being prickled

I know what your saying. My kids love walking on wall's too.

I won't allow them on walls that belong to someone's garden. If they damaged the wall I would feel terrible. I knocked down a friends wall as a kid by accident (bumped in to it roller skating) and still feel dreadful now after watching her dad rebuild it, but that's another story!
Also if they fell in to someone's garden they may squash plants/trees and some people spend a lot of time & money looking after their gardens. I know you think they won't fall off, your holding their hands...but they will.
Also, I feel it's a bit about learning to respect other people's property, so someone's garden wall is property to be respected and they should have permission before playing on it.

I will allow them to walk on wall's around public areas. Parks, open spaces, car park etc as long as they are reasonabley low.

As long as you are not planning on suing a homeowner if there is an accident, it's fine.

At what do you intended to tell your children that it is unacceptable to walk on peoples garden walls ? Or are you happy for 15 and 16 year olds to walk through your garden ?

It has never occurred to me not to let my DD walk on people's garden walls. We do it all the time. Wish I hadn't read this thread now!

Public walls fine.
Private garden walls - not fine.

Kids used to sit on my (not very sturdy) garden fence to eat their ice creams bought from the sweet shop a few doors down. I planted rose bushes with the most lethal thorns possible. Problem solved.

My son loves walking on walls but I won't let him walk on private walls - only library and such like.

SleepFreeZone
I second that lol

What a narky precious world we live in now.
I wouldn't batt an eye at a little one walking along my wall . Seeing a kid with a smile having a walk along a wall far outweighs protecting my darling brick work
I'm sure the "Baaaaah!! Entitled toddlers!! Boo-Hisssss!!" Camp will have a field day with opinions like mine though lol .
The wall will be here long after us! Lighten the hell up lol
Op your little one can have a stroll on my wall any time she likes

Loads of people sit on my wall too (next to a bus stop) when I come out of my house they don't flinch, they don't think it's weird and I don't either. People also walk across the drive to take short cuts and the postman steps over the wall which has beds either side to go to my neighbours.

I can't get bothered about it even if I try.

If someone permanently chained something there I'd be but temporary walking and sitting, no.

If you let your child walk on my wall, you are very likely to be following it up with a trip to A&E. It isn't sturdy but is made of very heavy stone blocks.

That depends. If they walk on my wall and damage it, are you going to pay for repairs?

If they walk on my wall and fall into my garden and hurt themselves, are you going to sue me?

If they walk on my wall and my dog jumps up and bites them, are you going to insist that I have my dog put to sleep?

Walls are not there to be walked on. I know kids like doing this but come on, it's time we started teaching kids to do as they are told, not what they bloody want.

Tell people to get off your wall by all means but I think it's a bit of a myth about them falling off it into your shark pond and suing.

Oriunda That's why we got the holly bushes!

I wouldn't be bothered by a kid walking on my wall...but I also wouldn't want to be made responsible if the child got hurt

It isn't respectful of other people's property.

I would be telling you to take your DC off my wall.

Seems weird to me that private is not ok but public is? They are still owned and still cost money to repair if that's why not on your wall.
I suspect public walls would be maintained to a high standard and less likely to collapse and killing trespassing children.

Public walls are often made from concrete. Private walls are low and not made to withstand anything, they are more a polite indication that this is somebody's property rather than a proper barrier, so a lot less sturdy in many cases. Just like the sort of grass in a park can withstand walking and football, front garden lawns can't.