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

Couldn’t imagine being so miserable, it would bring me joy to see that outside my house

What miserable jobsworths!

I have zero issue with chalk it's harmless fun

The rainbow as a symbol has become politicised (LGBTQ associations, trans debate) - not looking here for an argument over whether it should be political, but dealing with the fact that some people will regard it as such. Obviously, the OP's DC was not making a political statement, but some people might not want a rainbow on the pavement outside their house because it's associated with a cause they might not support.

I think even outside your own house. ie. on the public pavement rather than your own front path or drive is difficult - for visually challenged people, people with dementia or cognitive impairment the pavement being full of colours and shapes could be very, very unnerving and disruptive as to how well that person can walk along there. That's not fair and could, obvs, lead to a nasty fall.

I'd say keep it within your own boundary to be fair to everyone.

Kids not unreasonable to chalk a pavement.

adult also not unreasonable to wash it away. But a bit OTT to grumble about it.

I don’t think any of this is a big deal

I totally agree not everyone needs to enjoy other people's children, and kids need to learn resilience about getting told off by other adults, but no way in hell would I expect kids to apologise to a neighbour who objected to their innocent drawings.
Adults need to model respect and basic courtesy too. And if they don't have the basic courtesy to reply to a child who speaks to them, they don't need to be tiptoed round IMO.

I wonder who came up with that hypothesis 🤔

😂 my children still talk about "Mrs miserable " who washed their chalk away, and the youngest is mid 20s , I can't stand miserable people and complaining about a bit of chalk on the pavement is just miserable and joyless, I often think how unhappy do you have to be to complain about stuff like this.

I'm a miserable bastard about 'kids these days' but this wouldn't even have bothered me! I think it's nice and cheerful. And not permanent as many have said!

This. I used to live in an area where the children would break windows deliberately and throw eggs at old people. I've always enjoyed seeing children play but even more so since I've experienced the alternative

I let mine draw down the whole street. It's nice words and drawings 😍

Wow, there was 2 of them that thought it was offensive!

Honestly, the things people get offended by - what a way to live.

I’m a joyless bastard. It looks fucking atrocious. It’s a public space. It’s not for kids to do as they like.

She didn’t complain, she just cleaned the bit directly outside her house.

My STBX moaned when the children inc ours chalked on the private lane outside our home. One of the many reasons I am
glad we have split. He’s a miserable bastard.

What a miserable shit your neighbour is

Meh it was a bit of chalk,

I’m going to go against the tide. Chalk outside their own house is fine, but frankly it’s a bit entitled to go around chalking outside other peoples houses.

I know it washes away and I certainly wouldn’t have washed it away infront of them, but I’d have been inwardly a bit annoyed and wondered why the parents couldn’t have had a bit more control over where the kids played.

Absolute OTT reaction from your neighbour! I always chalked on the pavements when I was little, and so did my DDs when they weren't too cool for that. Love seeing chalk art on the street!

I’m usually a miserable git and most things annoy me.
This is not one of them!! I think it’s lovely. Your neighbours are toads 🐸 😂

I wouldn’t mind kids chalking, it washes away quite easily but equally I would have told my child before they started to chalk to only draw in our garden and outside our house.

I'd be sending my kids to do it every day after that 😆

Sorry but this would piss me off outside of my house too. Sorry, but you asked. Do you have paths in your own garden. If so, let them do it there.

They sound very grumpy.