.... to let my children draw with chalk on the pavement?

[FourArms]

A neighbour of mine made a lot of comments last time the kids down the street drew on the pavement with chalk. Unfortunately that time it was actually a bag of plasterboard they'd found somewhere , which didn't wash off for ages, but I didn't have a problem with it. Neither did any of the other mums on the road who also watched them doing it. In fact, I thought writing slow down at the start of our cul-de-sac on the road was a good idea.

Anyway, yesterday I let my 2 yr old draw on the pavement outside my house with some chalk. Before I knew it 6 other children had also joined in, and had a lovely time drawing, playing hopscotch and writing their names etc. Proper ELC blackboard chalk, so will wash off next time it rains.

Cue a knock on the door and some sarky comments from the same neighbour about how it's not on to let them do this and makes the place look a real mess. AIBU to let them do this?

I think it is wonderful - we never see kids play around ours... lots of traffic and everyone too paranoid of everything,

what a pathetic neighbour... just get the kids to start chucking litter in her garden and peeing in her bushes and welcome her to our part of paradise!!!

YANBU -with the summer we are having this year it will soon wash off!

You can get proper big playground chalk in www.step-by-step.co.uk. Think its £5 for 20?

what a great idea! will get ds's chalks out tomorrow! if anyone complains i wil get a bucket of water and wash it down at the end of the day! I cant wait now! thanks for the idea! now remind me how to play hopscotch - its been years! lol
x

agalch! I find it incredible that people have so little else to worry about!

FourArms I have some chunky chalks from ELC which are better for outdoors

Don't call the police - I think I remember in the news some kids getting in trouble from the police because tthey were chalking on the pavement

YANBU btw, it is chalk. it washes off. it's fun

I like these chalks!

yanbu - but all you who say you'll wash it off - get the kids to do it - once they've bored of drawing give them a scrubbing brush and some soapy water - the fun will stretch for up to half an hour more.

Tatties the auld shite and his dw retaliated by sitting in the front garden getting pissed and playing opera music at deafening volume till 1am lol

We don't converse with them now

[[http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ifs_news/hi/newsid_6624000/6624527.stm here!]

again - news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ifs_news/hi/newsid_5233000/5233262.stm?

first one again -news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ifs_news/hi/newsid_6624000/6624527.stm

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I bet your other neighbours were pleased about that too

again - news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ifs_news/hi/newsid_5233000/5233262.stm?

first one again -news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ifs_news/hi/newsid_6624000/6624527.stm

links not working because of the underscores

Heck no, chalking over the pavement is great fun!

I wouldn't let my children use the chalk on someone's house or driveway, but the public streets, my drive etc then yes.

news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ifs_news/hi/newsid_6624000/6624527.stm

yanbu

get pavement chalk next time.. chunky and long!!!!

ah, it didn't work because I missed a square bracket

Be charming to your neighbour. Explain it will wash off and apologise for the last lot which didn't wash off so easily. With grumpy neighbours a bit of charm goes a long way and will get them off your back.

Not all neighbours can be charmed Janni. Some are simply arses!!

I would ignore her at all times and ler the dc have fun.

YANBU of course.

You can get those tubs of iant chalk in ELC and in Tesco, as well as other places like borders and the works.

how silly of course your not being unreasonable, its lovely that the children all joined in and played together
tell her they are practising for when they can buy spray paints and use those instead

i have bought really thick chalks in the cheap shop sin town before, poundland, 99p shops etc and i'm sure the works and possibly wilkinsons. great for drawing outdoors with

give them a paint pot with water and brush and get them to go over the chalk with water! Hours of fun and will wash off the chalk!

yanbu
it is part of childhood.
but would warn your dc that skips are cangerous(which you most likely already did)

I am going to wash it off now I think, ready for the next lot... (just checked our weather forecast, no rain tonight! Typical!)

about the girls being fined, glad that common sense prevailed in the end though!

It wasn't my kids in the skip, or who did the 1st lot of chalking with plasterboard. That was some other children from further down the street, but they did it at my end of the road so the neighbour thinks that my children were responsible for that too. I think if my 2 or 4 yr old had got into a skip I'd be very worried . I'd mention it to the parents concerned, but they wouldn't be unfortunately