To find pavement chalking by neighbour unreasonable?

[Hanji83]

We are in a row of houses which have a footpath running in front of the road with a grassed area either side. One of the neighbours has two kids, who for the past week have been drawing on the pavement using chalk. It looks an utter mess. Would it be wrong of me to say something to the parents?

We live on a very new (less than 3 months old) new build road. Lovely, new, dark tarmac and pavements. 14/15 houses have children. Its a quiet cul de sac and all of the kids have spent hours this holidays - no, days - chalking on the path and the road. It has been lovely seeing the bigger 15/16 year old kids helping the toddlers and smaller ones draw and write. No screens, just kids habing good old fashioned fun and making hopscotch patterns.

The older lady who doesnt have children (my next door neighbour) loves sitting outside on her bench with a brew watching them. The housing officer for the road came up and said how lovely it is to see all the kids enjoying where they live.

Oh please, get al life and leave the kids alone. They’ll be back at school soon and the rain will wash it away.

Get out there and join in! It is a joyous thing.

Don’t be a twat op

I guess you're not a fan of Bert the chimney sweep, OP?

Tell me, were you ever a child?

YABU I don’t see there’s any harm in it and I like to see and hear children outside playing like that.

Years ago our DS and his friend had chalked on the pavement some numbers to play hopscotch and we’re playing it. The neighbour came out and was furious and threatened to report them to the police.

It ended up with the both sets of parents plus our neighbours having a conference about it in the middle of the street. It was very strange as they are usually perfectly nice friendly neighbours who are very easy to get on with.🤷🏼‍♀️

My mum was like you op and, as a kid, I wasn't allowed to chalk on the pavement. I always envied the kids that could. Where I live now more than one house has a big box of chalk and not only the kids draw on the road. Its become a bit of a social thing in the evening with the adults sitting on the garden walls with tea or a beer and the kids drawing (with a bit of intermittent adult input). I love it and we do laugh alot. Give it a go.

Yes it would be VERY unreasonable. The children are playing, it’s what children do and the chalk will wash away when the rain comes. People moan about children being plugged in electronic baby sitters and then moan when they come out to play. Parents can’t win these days.

This is lovely old fashioned fun - cheap , outside - perfect . The kind of play that builds relationships. Joyful

That's a lovely idea 💡 😊

Yeah. Great that they're outside making art, when they can. Away from screens for a while. Wish I could do the same.

Why would you? The children are having a lovely time and not causing any problems. When it next rains, then all will disappear. When I was younger in the 70's this was common behaviour, don't say anything, let them enjoy their summer holiday playing outside. Which in this day and age is a bit of a novelty!😳

My neighbours grandchildren did this the other week. It's prettier than the normal grey pavement.
I'm going to buy them some chalks for Christmas.

And they were fairly quiet drawing!

I'm probably the solitary person that agrees with you here! But I do. We had some children in our block of flats do this in the garden but happily (for me) the management company stepped in and told them not to as it’s communal property and they’re defacing it.

Where I live it is an offence to chalk on the footpath. As OP said, you don't own the footpath, neither does the neighbour.

Go have a gin tonic to deal to help you get over the trauma.😱

As a parent, and as someone who lives next door an awful grumpy old man for 12 years who complained every time the kids in the street chalked.....I would say... Leave it alone. It will wash away. Pick your battles man.

Might need my popcorn for this one 😂

I said disliking the appearance of messy pavement scribbles is valid. I didn't advocate for complaining, the opposite actually, it's harmless fun. I wouldn't want to see it outside my house but I wouldn't complain

I’m lucky that I live in a little cul-de-sac and the kids play out on the street. There is a family 2 doors down whose children sometimes play cricket in the grounds out the back, we love to see it!

I actually hate people/kids that do this. Its not just a mess but it gets on your shoes and dogs feet when you walk on it. Its actually against city code where i live. Scribble on your own driveway or footpath, I don't care, but not on a public sidewalk.

You mean pavement?

...ever thought you may end up restricting the next Banksy or Tracey Emin ?

Chalk? Thats it? Now if they were obnoxious pervy kids leaving rude sayings and c unty pics there may be reason to lodge a complaint but rainbows and hopscotch I think not. We contend with a family of 4, all under 9, having blood curdling screaming matches on their trampoline..often at 7 am on wknds. Trampoline and jungle gym are in the rear of their yard cloaer to our windows than their own to make it even worse. Now THAT I say is too much (particularly when they scream "JESUS LOVES YOUUUUUUU" to anyone who may pass by😒)...but chalk washes away and is a quiet undertaking. Of ot were your own drive it would still be petty but w/in your rights to ask them to draw elsewhere but any other walks are free reign

Must be nice not to have any real problems to worry about 🙄