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?

Love a bit of pavement chalking. Chalking on other people's walls is where you'd be crossing a line. (Own walls not a great idea either, as can be sheltered from the rain).

@DismantledKing

I'm trying to find the smowman clip but here's the warthog one instead.

Philcornwall1 (dont know how to quote)
I actually read it in Mrs Bucket's voice
Me too!
Oh dear, there are a lot of pursed-lipped curtain twitchers here!

Kids were doing it down our street during lockdown last year. It really cheered us up on our walks.

My dad hates kids chalking all over the street. His view is that it looks scruffy and that it's sort of teaching them that it's okay to graffiti. He's less bothered if they do it outside their own houses and more bothered if it's outside of his.

That said he doesnt let it raise his blood pressure. He only washes it off and asks them not to if it's on his drive.

He'd never let us do it as kids.

You have to respect his views, he accepts his views may not be shared by all. I think being brought up on that Id prefer them not to do it bit I'm not going to loose any sleep over it.

My lad chalks in the garden. I get roads chalked out complete with give way markings, solid white lines to stop overtaking, cycle lanes and slow markings.

He's an arse. Seeing chalk drawings on the pavement always brightens my day for some reason 🤷 During the first lockdown, some kids round the corner from my DPs had done an entire "obstacle" course so DS and I would make sure to go that way on our walks so we could do it. Until it rained.

@TomRaider

yes, chalking is the gateway crime to graffiti 🤣
ffs

We used to do this as children BUT only ever on our own driveways, no one elses. It was made very clear that we shouldn't draw on other people's property.

My neighbours kids scrawled in chalk all over the tarmac'd pavements halfway up and down our street last year. It looked grotty and common as fuck, and because of the surface despite frequent rain it didn't wash off for ages. Then again they are the same family who think it's appropriate to have an inflatable pool on their driveway...

My dad always hated chalking and never let me do it when I was a kid. As a result my kids can chalk as much as they like. they draw elaborate roads and bring out their cars and play outside for hours or draw courses for their scooters, sometimes hopscotch too. It only stays for a couple of days because it either rains or the drawings end up smudged from use so they wash it away. It’s a cheap easy activity that gets kids outside.

My dad hates kids chalking all over the street. His view is that it looks scruffy and that it's sort of teaching them that it's okay to graffiti.

I bet he’s a fun bloke. 😬

There are some right miserable f*ckers about.

[quote ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba]@TomRaider

yes, chalking is the gateway crime to graffiti 🤣
ffs[/quote]
Like I said.... He's entitled to his view. I can see the parallels just swap out the chalk for a marker pen, or....

I suppose this is where parenting comes in.

@Grenlei

We used to do this as children BUT only ever on our own driveways, no one elses. It was made very clear that we shouldn't draw on other people's property.

My neighbours kids scrawled in chalk all over the tarmac'd pavements halfway up and down our street last year. It looked grotty and common as fuck, and because of the surface despite frequent rain it didn't wash off for ages. Then again they are the same family who think it's appropriate to have an inflatable pool on their driveway...

Wheyyyy the 'common' has arrived.. who gives a fuck?!

And why can't they have a pool on their own driveway. Thank the lord I don't live in a street with you in it

Like I said.... He's entitled to his view. I can see the parallels just swap out the chalk for a marker pen, or....

I suppose this is where parenting comes in.

But the reason parents allow it is because it washes away.

@SupermanWithTheGreyHair

My dad hates kids chalking all over the street. His view is that it looks scruffy and that it's sort of teaching them that it's okay to graffiti.

I bet he’s a fun bloke. 😬

He a pretty chilled out and relaxed well rounded character. As I said he doesn't lose any sleep over it, he'd just prefer it not to happen. He only washes it off when it's on HIS driveway, his property, which I don't think is unreasonable.

He's the sort of guy who moves the car down the street to give the kids space to play football and ride bikes. I'd say with the bonus that they won't damage the car but I don't think he could care less about a few scratches on his 15yr old fous!

@SupermanWithTheGreyHair

Like I said.... He's entitled to his view. I can see the parallels just swap out the chalk for a marker pen, or....

I suppose this is where parenting comes in.

But the reason parents allow it is because it washes away.

Exactly.... But you have to parent for that.

And i still think that it isn't unreasonable for it to not to be on other private property.

@LST
Not only “common”, “common as fuck” no less!

The irony

Chalking on your own driveway is ok - if you have a driveway. Just like playing in your own garden is ok - if you have a garden.

I think classism and snobbery is at the heart of a lot of the attitudes to this. Chalking on the pavement is what 'poor children' in terrace houses and tenements, with no drives or gardens, do and always have done. (We wouldn't want people to think we're poor, in our nice suburban semi, would we darling?). Meanwhile, confidently MC types in Victorian semis have decorated the entire neighbourhood, chalked a wild flower trail, baked some cupcakes and organised a street party.

Anyone that uses the expression common as fuck hardly comes across as classy.

The children should really just be drawing with chalk on their own drives or outside their own homes, to keep the peace. You all have to live there so might as well try to not upset each other.

@SupermanWithTheGreyHair

Like I said.... He's entitled to his view. I can see the parallels just swap out the chalk for a marker pen, or....

I suppose this is where parenting comes in.

But the reason parents allow it is because it washes away.

exactly

I don't know how these people ever let their use knife - because surely spreading butter is the gateway to suddenly stabbing someone in the eye!😱

*let their kids

@Hopeisallineed

There are some right miserable f*ckers about.

and they are the same people who sigh, roll their eyes and blame everything on the younger generations.

miserable cunts

I love that this is now 6 pages!

Kids; keep chalking!

@LST as I said, I don't care at all, but I thought it worth pointing out as everyone is so adamant it washes off instantly. We had a local 'festival' where kids got out and about last summer and the chalk was still there in the winter. I could see why someone wouldn't want someone else's kids chalking outside their house lasting for months on end.