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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

in allowing my children to decorate the pavement with pavement chalk?

110 replies

Mancunian · 10/06/2010 19:30

They have a box of proper pavement chalks and want to do pictures on the pavement outside the house. I think that's fine as it'll wash off easily enough and the weather is predicting rain anyway tomorrow. I also don't think that anyone will have a problem with childrens drawings done in chalk on a public pavement.

My husband however, disagrees. He says it looks messy and is akin to graffiti. He doesn't think the neighbours will appreciate it at all and has banned them from doing so, instead they are limited to a patch of tarmac in the back yard.

So who is right here and who is wrong?

OP posts:
LilRedWG · 10/06/2010 19:48

I love seeing it. DD dores chalking and I used to love it as a child!

Hulababy · 10/06/2010 19:49

My DD enjoys getting the chalks out and decorating our paving slaps. I would let her do it on the road outside our house too. I washes away very easily - and a bucket of water will get rid of it sooner if needs must.

I no work as a Y1 TA and I regularly take my children into the playground and we do lots of work in chalk on the playground floor - big writing/big ictures is fab. We do phonics out there, draw story mountains, hopscotch for games, etc.

Hulababy · 10/06/2010 19:50

It is nothing like grafatti - it is temporary

biscuitsandbandages · 10/06/2010 19:51

Chalk is fine (not on other people's houses, no rude words or pictures) it washes off.

The little oiks down our way that have drawn graphic representations of male genitalia in marker pen - well thats another matter entirely!

123andaway · 10/06/2010 19:53

I used to love chalking on the pavement as a child. We used to live in a small close, and would work our way round from one of the close where our house was to the other end opposite. None of the neighbours ever had a problem, although I guess we are talking 25+ years ago! Unfortunately we live on a busy road so my DCs don't get to do this, although I would have no problem letting them if we lived in a quieter road, although I would confine it to outside my house!!

I think you need to wait for you DH to go out, and then release them out with their chalk. His work 'is gospel'

Merrylegs · 10/06/2010 19:54

Ah. See now this proves my theory on why it is no longer possible to have that elusive 'Huckleberry Finn' childhood as has been debated elsewhere on this board. It is the fear of what Other People Might Think. Your DH anticipates Other People tutting and saying 'what are those children doing out unsupervised and mucking up the pavement to boot. Tsk. They must be up to no good.'

When in fact Other People may actually be thinking 'how lovely to see children expressing themselves creatively and not stuck inside in front of the xbox.'

I say go for it, (and if challenged, tell the Other People it's the latest Banksy exhibition and charge them a fiver to look.)

belgo · 10/06/2010 19:57

I'd be sorely tempted to chalk 'my daddy says this is NOT ALLOWED' on the pavement

kodokan · 10/06/2010 19:59

'It is nothing like grafatti - it is temporary'

We have temporary spraycan graffiti here in Switzerland. The walls of the underpass in our village is lined with large aluminium frames with large sheets of blank paper inside. The teens go wild with their creativity, aerosols and a startling knowledge of swear words in English, then every few weeks someone changes the paper for fresh, clean sheets.

There's never a scrap of paint on the concrete walls outside of the frames; bless the Swiss teens and their token rebellion.

Chalks - absolutely, go for it. And give them a large decorating paintbrush and a bucket of water, which not only offsets any potential whinging but also adds more fun and colour.

foureleven · 10/06/2010 19:59

eurgh it would irratate me no end if this happened in my street. Not everyone wants to see your little darlings scribblings...

Original poster
Mancunian · 10/06/2010 19:59

Well he didn't actually say that his word was gospel but it was fairly evident that as far as he was concerned the argument was over.

I shall bide my time and tomorrow when they come home from school I shall hand them the chalks and let them run wild!

I think he is denying them a lovely opportunity and whilst yes, they can do it in the back, I think kids at that age also like showing off and the whole reason they chalk on the pavements is so that others will admire their 'artwork'.

I also like the idea of the permanent marker on his forehead, however I don't really want to be woken at 6am by an irate husband demanding I help him wash it off before he goes to work, so I may stick it discreetly on the back of his uniform instead.

Even better (evil cackle) I'll change his phone tone to something loud and romantic and make sure I call him when he's having his break with the others.

OP posts:
Original poster
Mancunian · 10/06/2010 20:01

foureleven - is that you darling typing from the bath?

OP posts:
LouIsWaltzingMatilda · 10/06/2010 20:02

It is completely normal and I once had 30 girls doing it at a party. They thought it was fabulous.

Like others have said. It is not permanant and as long as they are not doing drawing anything rude then ignore him. Just have a big bucket of water there just in case some old biddy says something. I have had them complain and some say how nice it was to see children outdoors playing hopscotch etc

pocketmonster · 10/06/2010 20:03

YANBU - my kids chalk on my MIL's drive and my GMIL says its 'terribly lower deck'!! Made me LOL for about a week!

As others have said, just wash it off with water and a broom afterwards. It's fun, creative, outdoors and harmless.

GypsyMoth · 10/06/2010 20:03

mark out a hopscotch (remember those) grid....tell him its exercise!!
then they can draw round/in the squares

brimfull · 10/06/2010 20:04

yanbu it will wash off

Tn0g · 10/06/2010 20:06

As an art teacher I'd say to the OP let them get creative with the chalk, I love to see this kind of thing.

Your dh is being a bit anal.

< ahem >

Habbibu · 10/06/2010 20:06

Mancunian, write it in lipstick on his head. I was once v fed up with dp (now dh) because he came home drunk, fell asleep and snored fit to shake the walls - nothing I could do to shift him, so I seethed, then got lipstick and wrote all over him. It was very, very funny in the morning. Thankfully he thought it was too...

julybutterfly · 10/06/2010 20:06

Ha ha ha pocketmonster I love your GMIL. What a fab saying 'terribly lower deck'

That's made my day!!

pocketmonster · 10/06/2010 20:07

I know it's a great expression, now (over) used in our house daily!

honeymom · 10/06/2010 20:08

Well my childrens school must be encouraging vandalism because they are always drawing with chalk ALL over the school....

Original poster
Mancunian · 10/06/2010 20:10

Yes, my husband has just said that it's a bit 'council house estatey'. I had no idea I had married such a Tory boy. Do you think this is a good enough reason for divorce?

Mind you, he hates people eating in the street either, whether it's a sandwich or a chocolate bar, I see him shudder inwardly. I blame his parenting.

OP posts:
Toughasoldboots · 10/06/2010 20:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

usualsuspect · 10/06/2010 20:18

'Council house estatey'...hes a twat

Original poster
Mancunian · 10/06/2010 20:20

Yes he is, but he'd only say that to me. He knows I lived on a council house estate for many years. I shall now call him ToryBoy, that should grate him. I may stick David Cameron pictures all over his lunch box.

This argument is now getting very childish

OP posts:
leavingonajetplane · 10/06/2010 20:20

Where did you find your husband, the 1920s?