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

I had a neighbour who knocked on the door and made me go and wash it off when I was a kid too!

I let mine do it when they were younger and was totally surprised when my lovely neighbour complained about it , just told them not to do it outside his house in future. like you say it’s easily washed away

hideous graffiti

from kids? Are you sure?

The parents join in and draw rude pictures.

Equally it doesn't harm to teach a grumpy neighbour that the world doesn't revolve around them and they need to be thoughtful in how they complain about petty things and make the neighbourhood a less happy place.

this insistence on polarisation of views from older people is what breaks down society not builds it up...

The parents come out of their homes and go and draw rude pictures on the pavement that their own children can see?
And in full view of everyone?

Don't believe you....

‘hideous graffiti’ 😄
Fined for some chalk on the pavement What local council has the time or resources to enforce that? (even if local councils gave a rat’s ass about it).

Hideous graffiti or kiddies' drawings. They aren't permanent and it isn't on someone's private property.

If you want to live sociably with your neighbours you wouldn't go moaning about chalk on pavements. Indeed such a person should, as you rightly say, learn tolerance and indeed as the adult in this situation you would have thought they would have by now, especially towards a young child.

It's a massive mental health trigger.

How so?

Graffiti?

Mental health triggers?

What the absolute fuck is wrong with people?

Rude graffiti written by parents, no less.

I can just imagine, in the middle of cooking a meal or doing laundry, parents nipping outside to the pavement to add rude bits to the kids hopscotch 🤣

Anyway any chalk drawings etc would be washed away by now