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?

It's not really the done thing. Sometimes older walls are a bit fragile and the weight of a child can cause the top decorative slabs to come off (my DDs annoyingly did this to our wall)

I wouldn't mind.

Let children be free and innocent as much and as long as possible.

There's nothing wrong with it, and anyone who says there is is a miserable bastard

There's lots wrong with it and anyone who there isn't is an inconsiderate bastard.

Would you let them swing on peoples gates too? Lean against the neighbours cars for a rest? What if they fall off the wall onto the garden side and someone's plants/cat/whatever?

I think it's rude. My dc love to climb and will do so on any miscellaneous walls/trees/whatever...but not on other people's property.

Let children be free and innocent as much and as long as possible.
If they are trespassing and potentially damaging somebody else's property, then they are not innocent

I agree that children should be free but not at the expense of other people

Garden walls are not made for walking on. I would have thought you risk damaging someone's wall.

I let DC walk the Southend sea front, all going well until DC3 fell off, massive cut to her forehead, trip to A and E for it to be glued back together, now it's scarred. Hopefully the scar will fade in time.

It's about teaching your child respect for other people's property.

FuffyBathTowel

I'd be fine to see a happy child walking on 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.

Some people upthread think public is unacceptable too

I don't let my children do it. I just find it a bit disrespectful.

If they are trespassing and potentially damaging somebody else's property, then they are not innocent

Actually no.

Under 10s have no criminal responsibility in the UK. So they are innocent by definition even if they found a little child sized sledgehammer for your precious bloody wall

Mine have walked on any wall I judged to be safe. So varying heights, property ownership, state of repair, etc.
I have just had a garden wall out in and I would be more than happy for kids to walk on - chances are I will at some point!

If anyone had poked their head out and asked me not to let my kids walk on their wall I would respect that and move along. I probably would think they were a bit of a MOG (miserable old git) but it wouldn't affect my life in the long run and be forgotten by the end of the road.

I'd turn the hose on the parent.

I used to hold my dads hand and do this as a kid - lots of sunny memories. If no one has complained then YANBU - then again I've never owned a garden wall ..

This is like one of those, 'i don't allow people to turn on my drive threads', where i am boggling that anyone gives a shit if a child walks on their brick wall.

It would never ever have occurred to me before MN that anyone would care.

Why is not wanting to indulge every whim of a stranger's children mean someone is a miserable old git? Plenty of places for kids to climb - why should people be insulted for not wanting the little darlings to trash their property?

I should say I don't have a wall but I know someone who got so pissed off by kids on the wall, they had a spiky hedge put in - that seemed to stop the issue

Admittedly the worst culprits were also going into their garden and throwing stuff at their cat

Only on mn would a child walking on a brick wall be seen as indulgent. 'oh it's your birthday coming up faustus, if you are lucky i'll let you walk along a wall'

Would you like to see individuals climbing on your walls/property?
How do you plan to teach your children about respecting other people's property if you allow them to climb on walls etc that don't belong to them/your family? Children have to be taught what is and isn't acceptable by their families before they get to school.
Private walls not acceptable. Public walls fine.

I don't think she meant indulging=spoiling. Indulging a whim, yes. And if that whim can damage the wall, then it is clearly wrong to indulge. Are they allowed to walk on a neighbour's car, too?

I didn't say it was indulgent - I said 'indulging every whim'

Little Johnny wants to walk on someone's wall - Johnny's DM thinks that's fine as it's 'what kids need to do' - the fact that it is someone else's property doesn't seem to matter

My neighbours kids do it, really winds me up as they are old walls