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’ve already said I don’t mind chalk on pavements.

I wouldn't bother me at all. As for political graffiti, I did see some in 2022 - two little girls chalked "Putin is a poo" on the pavement outside their own house. Shocking behaviour!

I’m not being snide, I’m genuinely asking - why? If it’s the pavement outside your house, eg public land, not your actual garden path?

There are so many other worse things they could be doing! I love seeing kids being creative.

Can we stop calling anyone who doesn’t want to pander to children’s whims as joyless and grumpy. “It’s just kids playing” is a euphemism for “my kids can do whatever they like”. If a kid drew a lovely rainbow on the path outside my house, sure, it might be nice, but if they are anything like the 5/6 year olds who do it on parts of our estate, it isn’t lovely and joyful, it looks (obviously) like the scribbles of a 5/6 year old. It’s also not brilliant environmentally. I wouldn’t stop anyone doing it or wash it off, but if someone doesn’t want it outside their house, it doesn’t make them joyless. These are public property and I’d love to know at what point kids are old enough to understand you can’t just draw on public property.

I was called joyless because I stopped some kids climbing a tree outside my house. I have nothing against kids climbing proper trees, but this one is a flimsy piece of crap that is already at a 45 degree angle and part of their climbing it involves pulling it down so they can clamber on to it, and ripping off smaller branches to hit each other with. I also had an issue with kids playing football on a grass bit across from my house, despite there being a perfectly good, purpose built ball pitch for kids about 3 minutes away. Every day there were footballs flying into our front garden, hitting the cars etc, lads running about screaming at each other. We eventually had the factor put up some “no ball game” signs and were accused of being grumpy and not liking kids. On the contrary, now that the girls on the estate are back doing their gymnastics and TikTok dances on it, that brings me great joy. Not many places for them to do that round here.

Just because others don’t want to indulge your children, that doesn’t make them joyless.

A harmless fun activity which as you say would get washed away.

I love street art on pavements and we used to draw hopscotch etc when I was a kid.

neighbour is being grumpy and unreasonable.

Not true and what have my parents got to do with my opinion?? I just don’t think kids should be allowed to deface a public space.

It’s cute but the only thing I’ll say is it can be walked into houses if people can’t avoid it. But I’m sure they could have walked around it so shouldn’t be an issue

You let them draw outside other peoples houses? Yeah you’re wrong there. Why couldn’t they draw in your garden?

I love seeing chalk on the pavements - especially a hopscotch! I even have a go myself and I'm 50!! Totally harmless. The brighter the better as well.

I'd be chalking every day outside their house, until they actually spoke up about it. I don't do passive aggressive.

But chalking outside their house rather than speak with them in the first place, WOULD be passive aggressive.

I love to see chalk on the pavement. That neighbour sounds like a real meanie!

I can only think she hates children, or life itself.

I have no issue with this. Our neighbours kids do it sometimes - I think it’s sweet. It’s when they get a bit older and draw pictures of willies certain neighbours get a bit upset, lol

I think it’s lovely. So nice that the children are playing together outside.

I’m so glad someone else thinks this!

It seems that if you don’t find everything children do sweet and endearing, you must be a sad, lonely monster.

I have zero interest in children. I don’t get any warm, fuzzy feelings seeing them playing out/chalking pavements.

Fair enough to let your kids draw on the pavement. But it’s also ok for a neighbour not to want that outside their house, though I do agree somewhat curmudgeonly of them to wash it away then and there..
It’s really not a bad thing for a five year old to learn that not everyone adult is obliged to find what they do delightful, so no harm done I’d say.

Yes this was my thought as well. It’s a shame that the innocent rainbow has become something that is disliked by some folks isn’t it? I don’t mind seeing chalk drawings on pavements. We used to do it ourselves as children over 50 years ago. We wouldn’t dare to have done it outside other peoples houses though😂. As a PP said also no one knows what other people are going through. I have mentioned this on a thread a while ago. During COVID when people were getting kids to paint pebbles someone left a painted pebble at my late DM’s front door. It had ‘Be Grateful’ painted on it. My mother had not long lost my father to cancer, she was vulnerable and isolated due the pandemic. She didn’t know who had left this pebble. She was incredibly upset and angered by something that would seem harmless and inconsequential to others.

I wouldn't hate it or even be bothered by it but if its a lot of chalk, I could see the potential for it to be trodden into the house or carried in on eg buggy wheels.

My DS is older now (16) but I love seeing the kids’ chalk drawings on our street. Sometimes they chalk entire obstacle courses!

It’s better than what my own DS did aged 5 when he took some “chalk” out to chalk in our back garden only it was actually a crayon! They were both from the Early Learning Centre (RIP) and did look very similar except the crayon repelled the rain and did not wash away!

I love chalked drawings by my neighbours. Came back last month from a meal to celebrate my birthday and my neighbours kids had decorated my path for me, so lovely (I’d bumped into the elder one on my way out and she asked me why we were going out midweek!

There's a hosepipe ban where we are - I'd have been tempted to report them for using it 😂

I think it's fine, but my mother in law and other relative complained to the police when children had done this next to a play park. Some people just see it as some sort of vandalism.

To be fair....you do sound quite joyless.

You'd need to an absolute misery to be bothered by children chalking on the pavement but an absolute dickhead to wash it off.