Letting children chalk public pavement

[RainbowRanger29]

Hi,

So wondering AITA for allowing my young child (age 5) to draw with chalk on the public pavement?

My child was happy out drawing pictures and writing her name with chalk in the front garden with her little friends from the street. They ran out of space in the garden and continued there colourful chalk drawings along the public pavement outside the house.

No one owns the public footpath (its not anyone's actual property) and they drew along outside around 5/6 houses. They drew rainbows and houses and wrote their names and a hopscotch. Nothing offensive but not exactly amazing art (they are only 5!)

One of the neighbours arrived home and appeared visibly annoyed with the chalk, the kids asked if they like their art and they ignored them, went inside, got their hose and washed the chalk away from the public footpath outside of their house only.

The children were still out drawing and got upset that they had washed it away (mummy didn't they like our pictures? Why are they washing it away? Etc)

We live in the UK and it rains an awful lot! It would have washed away anyway later that evening when it rained ... I think it was mean of them to hose it away in front of the kids (surely they could of waited until the kids had stopped playing?)

Or is it me ... should I have not allowed them to chalk the public footpath?

Is it kids being kids enjoying chalking public areas? I used to do this as a kid and it never seemed to upset anyone? Or is it disrespectful to allow children to chalk on public footpaths outside of other people's home?

Interested on everyone's opinions

No, he was a miserable cunt.

Miserable fuckers. It washes away. The same people moaning are probably the people who also moan about kids on iPads. You can't win.

Obviously these miserable neighbours never had fun when young! This next generation who had so luch fun may be the new artists of our future, leave them alone to have innocent fun drawing & colouring, your neighbours have the the problem no one else did, yes it is a public footpath but it is not owned by them, you or anyone else around you & chalk washes off! I would love seeing & remember the colourful drawings, from my own childhood & my next 3 generations in my life!

Miserable would be complaining to the child’s parents and washing the whole lot off the pavement. He just wants his own frontage to look clean and tidy without making a fuss

I will, ta.

I gasped that the person sprayed the art away

What a fucking twat

Yanbu at all and your kids sound sweet xx

Wouldn't bother me at all. Would make a change from the dog shit splattered all over them!

I had a neighbour like this, they complained when DC would chalk in the street and moan it made the place look a mess. Like you say, it's free, harmless fun that washes away with rain or a bucket of soapy water.

The same people would complain about kids having nothing to do as well

I feel sorry for people this miserable. What a sad life it must be to be annoyed by chalk drawings by children. Wild behaviour

My kids drew a hopscotch outside our house recently, along with other little drawings. And we watched an older gent jump along it as he went down the road 😁

Or being on screens!

Anyone that has an issue with it is a genuine twat. Sometimes there are shades of grey. This is not one of those times. Hope this helps.

Not his frontage

Am I missing something? We did this all the time as kids! They used to sell pavement chalks especially!

You’re a misery arse.

This. Personally I wouldn't care but many would.

Miserable gits. I'd be happy to see kids playing outside enjoying themselves. It's only chalk ffs. It's not permanent as they so nastily proved by chucking water on it.

Honestly, how can you be so shitty seeing kids enjoying playing outside innocently.

Harmless and yes a non issue but the neighbour has an equal right to wash it away 🤷🏻‍♀️ not much you can do.

No, miserable is washing away a young child's harmless chalk drawing for no reason because it's been drawn on the public pavement outside their house that (presumably) they can't even see from inside..

Get a grip, it’s literally going to rain every day for the next 6 months! They are little children not teenagers writing rude things!

Children have been drawing hop scotch on pavements since chalk was invented!
When I was a child my elderly Aunt moved close by. She didn’t have any friends in our area, and was a bit lonely. I trying to be helpful wrote ‘if you want a good time phone Cis’ followed by her phone number. She got so many phone calls from strange men and a visit from the police she had to change her number!

"Gharish scrawl".
It's art.
Whether you're a mother or not It's just children harmlessly drawing with chalk.
Goodness me there are some miserable people out there.

We had a neighbour like that, he used to tell us to f off down our own end, silly old fool thought he owned the footpath and road outside his house😂

I love a chalked pavement! It’s a reminder to everyone of the joy available in the little things, especially for innocent children.
There will always be a grumpy sod but that’s their own problem - ignore.

Oh for goodness sake, get a life