Kids chalking on pavement

[Ritascornershop]

My best friend lives in a little estate of row houses with a grassed area in the centre and pavement around the edge with paths off to each of their houses.

Her idiot ex-partner lives with her (for the most part never paying rent or contributing to food and bills). They are just past 50 and never had kids.

The neighbours’ kids are aged around 5-6 and have taken to drawing pictures in chalk on the pavement; animals, houses, and hopscotch squares. They do this in front of a number of houses. My friend’s idiot ex partner has been hosing it off and telling the kids not to do it (& given how often she tells me he shouts about other things I suspect he’s not telling them nicely).

I told her I thought he was mean to hose away their harmless drawings, that she used to chalk draw when she was little, that he fancies himself an artist, and that I think he’s being awful. AIBU?

@MidnightMeltdown are you joking? Graffiti the streets? Do you know what graffiti is?! Obviously he’s being ridiculous. The kids are being innocent and sweet you need to get a grip.

How sad for you to have been made to do that!! my children and friends all chalk on the pavements and (safe) roads in our street and play for hours. They are having a great time with fresh air and no devices in sight and all neighbours comment how lovely this is even the elderly people who love to watch them play as their own kids did

Kids drawing with chalk is lovely. People who ruin it with their own misery are terrible. It's a traditional childhood pastime that we should be encouraging.

I can remember drawing hopscotch in chalk on pavement outside our house when I was a kid. It washes off when it rains. My Mum would never let us chalk in front of other people's houses though, only our own.

A few holes in his hosepipe might help distract him.
By the way, if a person hoses the street and somebody slips as a consequence, them the person who wet it is responsible! Ask him if he has public liability insurance. And tell him he's emotionally abusing the children by deliberately destroying their harmless creativity. If he repeats it after that, it could be considered bullying. Just make sure the chalk is on the ground, not on the walls. The rain washes the ground but not walls easily.

I think you should mind your own business

@BoredatHome321
I just saw your question 😂🤣🤣
Sounds familiar!

Yes he is sucking the joy out of life by hosing children’s drawings away unless they are offensive drawings. It’s almost an example of his controlling behaviour but directed at innocent children and because they are childless maybe this is where she will be able to see sense if she is already putting up with him shouting at her. Thank goodness there are no children within a shouting household. Hope you friend sets herself free at some point after this visual sign.

I think there are far more serious problems in the world than chalk drawings on a pavement which will disappear when it rains. As long as this doesn’t graduate into graffiti, I would take no action

It’s chalk! Not paint. Let the kids have their fun. He sounds like a boring old fart!

I may just have a opinion on this , as does
@Sweetpea1532 @SleepingStandingUp @TakesTheCake @RogueMNerKnowsNoShame @Butwasitherdriveway .. and many , many others ( thank you for the laughs ladies and gents )

The first few pages show the classic MN posters inability to read the OP by , by page 17ish it just descends into madness in the best possible way .

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/4204886-AIBU-to-let-my-children-chalk-on-the-road-Neighbour-washed-it-all-away?pg=1

I’d definitely join the kids in chalking everywhere… what a meany he is