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

Yes this, no i wouldnt say something to throw children but my child would not have been allowed to do this outside someone else's property, it is not up to me to decide what my child does is harmless or not

During the Covid lockdowns many of the kids round here drew games with chalk on the pavements for people on their daily walks. It’s actually quite a fun memory from that time. Actually there was one outside a house the other week and I had to stop to consider whether I preferred pizza or pasta (and jump to the appropriate square).

What a miserable bastard.

"went inside, got their hose and washed the chalk away from the public footpath outside of their house only."

Alright, grinch.

It’s good enough for Bert.

”’Ello, art lovers!” 🖼️

Some neighbourhood kids were doing chalk drawings here last summer. It doesn't hurt anyone / anything, it's innocent fun, and personally I think it's nice to see 'evidence' of kids harmlessly enjoying themselves.

We don't know them, but we bought them more chalk! 😂

Children have been chalking on the ground for decades, probably centuries. Some people are just ridiculous.

I love chalked pavements. I never fuss when it's outside my house.

Oooh there was another thread on here a couple of years ago about this exact thing .
It was overwhelming in ops dcs . @sweetpea1532
Do you remember it ?

Wouldn’t have bothered me, but if I’d just repainted my ground floor, I might be worried about the coloured dust transferring on tacky paint, so in that instance I might have explained to the kids and hosed it down. But told them I wanted them to redo next week. Your neighbour is a Grinch.

Thanks for all your responses so far.

I was flabbergasted that they ignored the kids and immediately started to hose it down! I thought they could have politely acknowledged the kids at least and maybe waited to hose it off but suppose everyone is different.

I did tell the children not to chalk outside their house again and to only chalk outside their own houses on the street as not everyone likes chalk.

They definitely did not chalk on their property just outside of it. I suppose maybe they had to step on it to open the gates to their drive (but it wasn't all over the area outside their home and I think they could have avoided walking through it if that was the issue).

I do suppose when we were younger people were generally just happier and less offended by childrens chalk masterpieces!

I do think going forward though I'll ensure they don't venture outside other houses with their chalk just to avoid any issues :)

Boo to the spoilsport neighbours! In my previous house, the neighbours had grandkids who came to stay now and then. The kids would often chalk the pavement with lovely pics and hopscotch etc. I was more than happy for them to do it outside my place, and the kids even liked to show me/explain their pictures. It was lovely.

What a misery that neighbour is! Well, now you know where it would be better for the kids not to chalk. 😔

Some people are miserable but just remember that is how they are all the time. Must be exhausting!

who cares about a bit of chalk you only see when you pass it for a few seconds entering and exiting your home. It washes away or you could always wait after a few days if no rain forthcoming.

Haven't you got a hosepipe ban?
I thought most areas have now.
Report her OP!

I don't see a problem whatsoever. As you say, it'll be gone as soon as it rains!

Just to add, it was her husband who hosed it off! Not sure which one of them was more offended tbh!

I would think it’s cute. It’s not like they’re spray painting dicks on the path or anything, it will go away when it rains. Some people are joyless.

This is my thinking too. Ds loves doing this and I encourage him to do it in our driveway/ garden. Directly outside your home is fine but I can see why others might find it unsightly even though it wouldn't bother me personally. I think it's probably a life lesson for them that it's a shared space and some people like it to be clean and tidy whereas others like colour and fun and both need to be respectful.

I saw a couple of young teens chalking a huge hop scotch, they got to 100! I thought it was lovely to see, especially considering how much time teens like to spend on their phones.
There was a lot of debate about this during Covid, there’s always going to be miserable people who don’t like it because it’s common/unsightly/whatever but they’re probably the sort of people who don’t like bins on the path a minute after they’ve been emptied

Genuinely I think your neighbour is being petty, passive aggressive and mean. If they really had an issue with it, why not just say, please don't allow the children to do that outside my house (but they're well aware that they've no "jurisdiction" on the public pavement!

We have some young families in our street and I have seen chalk drawings on the pavement further down the road. It wouldn't bother me in the slightest. Even if it did bother me, to wash it away when the rain will take it away so very soon is so very petty. Summer is such a short period of time I don't see the harm in it.

There will always be people like this. It’s not as if the children were using spray paint. I suppose they will know to stay away from Mr and Mrs Grumpybastard’s personal stretch of pavement in future.

What a pathetic killjoy. Imagine having such a sad life you have to go out of your way to ruin some kids fun, it would have been gone in a day or 2. If they were really THAT offended by it they could of waited until the kids had gone in.

As long as it’s not a giant cock and balls I’d have absolutely no problem with it. Being outside and creative is a good thing for children.

That person probably thinks the rainbows make the pavement gay because that’s totally how gay works!

Just nickname them sourpuss for all time

The other upside is they know which house to avoid.