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

It wouldn’t bother me. I find it cute.

I would be delighted to see it outside my house. Children's chalk art is always charming, and it's so ephemeral.

Were the children being supervised by an adult? If so, why didn’t they say something?
Oh and I wouldn’t have a problem with young children chalking on the pavement outside my house, unless it ventured onto my path or driveway.

Why would you wash chalk away in front of kids not sure what lesson they were aiming to teach here baffles me that people are so ridiculously petty

My kids do this too, as do the kids up the road. Noone has complained, our elderly neighbour came out specifically to join in and jump their hopscotch 🤣

Our local council actively encourage "Play Streets" which might be worth you looking into to see if yours do too, especially if there's a few supportive families on your road!

There should be info on your local council website with a quick Google search:

https://londonplaystreets.org.uk

https://playingout.net/play-streets

Play street pages on council websites
Leeds City Council
Bradford City Council
Coventry City Council
Adur and Worthing Council
Brent Council
Bristol City Council
Brighton and Hove Council
Ealing Council
Croydon Council
Lewes
Eastbourne

Some people are nuts OP. Stay away from your repellent neighbour.

You’d have to be a really special kind of joyless bastard to wash away children’s chalk drawings.

I was having a really hard time last week, came hope and saw beautiful children’s artwork over the pavements near my house (not my kids - they are older). It cheered me up so much it nearly made me cry.

Yeah. I can't fall down on either side. It wouldn't bother me and we used to do it ourselves in ancient times. But equally I think that people have a right not to be happy about it.

Bit mean of them, but if the kids are allowed to chalk public pavements they should accept other people are allowed to wash them off.

I do find it a bit tedious to see kids scrawlings all over the shop, and local to me someone had chalked racist crap everywhere. Plus the kids don’t take the chalk sticks away.

RainbowRanger29 your children & their friends are welcome to decorate the pavement outside my house whenever they like - they can do my drive, paths everything. 😘

As for those concerned about taking chalk into their house on their shoes, I suggest that they remove their shoes at the doorstep which is what we do in my house anyway. There's worse than chalk that can be brought in on shoes.

I don’t think you or neighbour are being unreasonable. He didn’t like the chalking outside his house so he removed it without complaining or making a fuss. You perhaps need to teach your child to be more respectful of others

How miserable of them when rain easily washes it away and we are hardly short of rain.

This.

It washes away and harms nobody. Some people just go through life fretting about trivial things, though. I would tell your kids not to chalk outside Misery Guts’ house, so as not to rile them, while inside thinking very little of the neighbours now I knew this about them.

If it is reasonable to draw in chalk then it is also reasonable to get a hose out and wash it off.

I also would advise them against declaring their names in a public space like that.

I'd rather the kids chalking than owners letting their dogs mess out side my gate which has happened a few times. Dirty bastards.

Kids always draw for street parties in our area, total non issue for anyone as far as I'm aware.

I wouldn't like 5yo touching that much pavement only because of the inevitable dog poo. Really it isn't that dusty except on the kids themselves.

I think it's nice to see kids playing outside.

I would far rather see chalk on pavements than dog shit or fly tipping.

There was a video clip going around during covid. A little boy would ride his balance bike past a guys house each day (with his parents). The guy had a big driveway and the boy would often do little circles etc on his driveway.

The guy took it upon himself to draw ever more intricate routes each day in chalk on his drive for this little boy to follow. It was amazing seeing his parents laughing, the child exercising and having fun and no doubt the guy enjoying the fun he was giving the boy.

Contrast this with the soul sucking tossers your neighbours are. In life some people just cant help being tossers.

There's always someone that gets butt hurt over chalk on pavements.

As long as they aren't drawing on people's homes, walls or driveways without permission (or offensive words or pics!), I cannot see the harm.

It'll be washed away in a day or two!

I’m genuinely surprised that people think this is an issue, and I’m struggling to understand why. I can’t see what harm it does.

If you’re someone who’s said you wouldn’t like it, what is it about it that you don’t like, and why?

Of course kids can chalk pavements! Your neighbour is a misery

Your neighbour is probably the same type of grumpy git who moans about children spending all their time indoors on devices. I wouldn’t give it another thought

What a total miseryguts. Ignore them (and the people on this thread who are also miseries!).

Your neighbour is a miserable sod, and rude to boot. If it happens again I'd ask them if they were brought up to ignore people when they speak directly to them.

The kids on my street regularly use the pavement to chalk hopscotch, cricket and other games that are unfathomable to dull old adults like me. They also draw pictures and write their names etc in many different colours. It always makes me smile.

Meh, it will all wash away. Anyone who cares has far too much time on their hands.