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Original poster

AIBU to let my children chalk on the road? Neighbour washed it all away.

999 replies

TakesTheCake · 28/03/2021 19:10

We have lived on a small square for four years, where the neighbours are pretty unfriendly and insular (unlike our old street, where they were all lovely and welcoming and mutual support abounded :-( ), and two doors away lives a couple who have always been reasonably friendly and cordial.

Today my two boys aged 7 and 12 were outside playing for a few hours on the square with the boy from next door - riding scooters, running, swinging on the swing in the little grassed area, with me and the boy’s dad keeping watch. My elder boy ran in to get the chalks they sometimes use to draw on our driveway but this time they all drew on the road (there is no pavement, just driveways and road). It covered outside our house and also the neighbours’ house (the couple we are somewhat friendly with). They were really proud of their creativity, finished up, then came in for lunch. Five minutes later the neighbour came out of her house, ran the hose on her driveway and worked pretty hard at scrubbing/washing it all away.

The kids were dismayed when they saw her doing it, and thought they had done something wrong. It felt really horrible for me too, as I don’t think kids’ chalk drawings are out of order in any way, and will wash away in the next rain. They have never caused any issues in the road, so it can’t be because of built-up resentments that spilled over, and they have literally never drawn on the road in the whole four years we have lived there.

She saw me see her doing it, and it feels really awkward now. I would rather she had come over and just straightforwardly said it bothers her to see it from her window and could I make sure it isn’t outside her house again. Washing it away felt passive aggressive, or she really feels I let them do something out of order and wrong.

AIBU to have let them? Are children’s chalk drawings on the road (NOT her driveway or even close) not OK?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
Chillychangchoo · 31/03/2021 21:00

OP I presume you live in a middle class area? Only these sorts of shenanigans wouldn’t be taking place in my neck of the woods 🤣. Jesus Christ, some people, they just don’t live in the real world. If all I had to worry about was a bit of chalk on the road, I’d die a happy woman 🤣🤣

AlCalavicci · 31/03/2021 21:04

This thread just keeps on giving Grin
MNHQ please . pretty please can this go into classics .
@TakesTheCake will come round and calk thank you notes and Flowers on your drives

@TakesTheCake , I like the new chalk drawings the square ish one looks like sponge bobs evil alter ego Grin

Changechangychange · 31/03/2021 21:05

Are children’s chalk drawings on the road (NOT her driveway or even close) not OK?

Definitely not ok to steal her driveway, draw on her with chalk, or anything else you’ve already said they didn’t do Grin

SleepingStandingUp · 31/03/2021 21:09

@Chillychangchoo

OP I presume you live in a middle class area? Only these sorts of shenanigans wouldn’t be taking place in my neck of the woods 🤣. Jesus Christ, some people, they just don’t live in the real world. If all I had to worry about was a bit of chalk on the road, I’d die a happy woman 🤣🤣
Of course darling but not anywhere where the houses cost over £500k, those people are too posh to allow their little darlings to doodle on the floor with chalk like the poor children in Call The Midwife.
Butwasitherdriveway · 31/03/2021 21:36

I'm still laughing at the suggestions the neighbour would have had zero time for the whole of the next day to wash it.

Maybe she watches call the midwife.

AlCalavicci · 31/03/2021 21:42

Pencil ✏
Fountain pen nib ✒
Fountain pen 🖋

Pen 🖊
Paint brush🖌
Crayon 🖍

It is a TRAVASTY I tell you there is no chalk emoji !

MNHQ please can we have a chalk emoji to use when people are getting worked up about nothing

SleepingStandingUp · 31/03/2021 22:20

@AlCalavicci

Pencil ✏ Fountain pen nib ✒ Fountain pen 🖋 Pen 🖊 Paint brush🖌 Crayon 🖍

It is a TRAVASTY I tell you there is no chalk emoji !

MNHQ please can we have a chalk emoji to use when people are getting worked up about nothing

#ChalkForAll
Sweetpea1532 · 31/03/2021 22:30

@AlCalavicci
Excellent idea! I can imagine a chalk emoji for use when people are getting worked up over nothing would get a good work out

SleepingStandingUp · 31/03/2021 22:55

Also when someones learnt a lesson and can CHALK it up to experience

tangerinelollipop · 31/03/2021 23:00

I'm still laughing at the suggestions the neighbour would have had zero time for the whole of the next day to wash it

But why should the neighbour's schedule be dictated to by the actions of someone who chalked on their side of the road (I know it's kids, but still...)? It's not reasonable to expect this either TBH

AlCalavicci · 31/03/2021 23:52

@Sweetpea1532,
MNHQ would have to but a new box of jumbo chalk at lease once a week !( and that just for me )

SleepingStandingUp · 31/03/2021 23:56

@tangerinelollipop

I'm still laughing at the suggestions the neighbour would have had zero time for the whole of the next day to wash it

But why should the neighbour's schedule be dictated to by the actions of someone who chalked on their side of the road (I know it's kids, but still...)? It's not reasonable to expect this either TBH

That's not what is being said. The previous comment was that the neighbour HAD to run out IMMEDIATELY as soon as the boys went in because it has to be removed that very second as there was no other chance she'd have to do it and the road might combust if it was there for longer than 10 minutes
SleepingStandingUp · 01/04/2021 00:33

My kid's won't sleep. Anyone got a spare driveway and some chalks?

Dustyhedge · 01/04/2021 01:44

I remember being told off for chalking on the pavement by a bitter neighbour. My mum who is the least confrontational person in the world just told me to crack on. During lockdown lots of the children near us have done hopscotch, paths, little notes etc in chalk. It is lovely and brought a lot of pleasure to others. Your neighbour is horrid to just get the hose out.

Sweetpea1532 · 01/04/2021 04:06

@AlCalavicci
Are you admitting that you are going about town chalking driveways...or are you using it for some of the other brill suggestions on this thread?....especially by @SleepingStandingUp and @Butwasitherdriveway?
Or are you chalking your roots again?

Sweetpea1532 · 01/04/2021 04:09

@SleepingStandingUp
Check with @AlCalavicci , he/she seems to have a whole chalk bucket.

Butwasitherdriveway · 01/04/2021 08:14

@tangerinelollipop

I'm still laughing at the suggestions the neighbour would have had zero time for the whole of the next day to wash it

But why should the neighbour's schedule be dictated to by the actions of someone who chalked on their side of the road (I know it's kids, but still...)? It's not reasonable to expect this either TBH

It wouldn't be.

The PP was suggesting the OP had to do it the second the chalk was laid down because there would be no time ever in the future to do it, rather than to make a point , which I find hard to believe.

jessstan2 · 01/04/2021 09:15

That's not what is being said. The previous comment was that the neighbour HAD to run out IMMEDIATELY as soon as the boys went in because it has to be removed that very second as there was no other chance she'd have to do it and the road might combust if it was there for longer than 10 minutes

She was probably trying to make a point that she was unhappy about children congregating in the street immediately outside her house. I imagine it can be intimidating if you go out and have to walk round a group of people who are chatting and laughing, never mind drawing on the pavement.

KarmaViolet · 01/04/2021 09:23

She was probably trying to make a point that she was unhappy about children congregating in the street immediately outside her house. I imagine it can be intimidating if you go out and have to walk round a group of people who are chatting and laughing, never mind drawing on the pavement.

I am disproportionately panicky around groups of people and even I think it would be feeble to be intimidated by two seven year olds with some chalk.

theleafandnotthetree · 01/04/2021 09:28

@jessstan2

That's not what is being said. The previous comment was that the neighbour HAD to run out IMMEDIATELY as soon as the boys went in because it has to be removed that very second as there was no other chance she'd have to do it and the road might combust if it was there for longer than 10 minutes

She was probably trying to make a point that she was unhappy about children congregating in the street immediately outside her house. I imagine it can be intimidating if you go out and have to walk round a group of people who are chatting and laughing, never mind drawing on the pavement.

Chatting and laughing. AND drawing on the pavement! Jesus that is seriously intimidating alright, call the cops. If someone genuinely found it so, then I would gently suggest they are the ones with the problem which it is for them to tackle. We simply cannot bend the whole of societies functionings around what a minority of people might find difficult or triggering, that way madness lies.
toffeebutterpopcorn · 01/04/2021 09:28

As long as they are playing safely and it’s not drawings of willies and ‘Mrs smith is a stinky old cow’ it’s fine.

We used to ‘draw’ on the road with pieces of slate...

TheKeatingFive · 01/04/2021 09:30

‘Intimidated’ by small children laughing and playing on the street. 🤦‍♀️

God help us all.

SleepingStandingUp · 01/04/2021 09:32

If she's intimidated by a 12 to and two 7 to chalking pictures on the road she probably needs to move to an area with less families.
This is isn't said in a "old people should be locked away" sense either, but if two primary aged kids and one barely secondary aged child drawing on the road on her street is so traumatic she had to immediately hose down the evidence, she probably would be happier somewhere kids aren't allowed

LST · 01/04/2021 09:35

@jessstan2

That's not what is being said. The previous comment was that the neighbour HAD to run out IMMEDIATELY as soon as the boys went in because it has to be removed that very second as there was no other chance she'd have to do it and the road might combust if it was there for longer than 10 minutes

She was probably trying to make a point that she was unhappy about children congregating in the street immediately outside her house. I imagine it can be intimidating if you go out and have to walk round a group of people who are chatting and laughing, never mind drawing on the pavement.

Are you being serious? Or are you just trolling us all? I find it hard to believe that you really think what you're saying.

Yesterday my kids, next doors kids and the next door but 1s kids were all drawing on the pavements and walls outside our houses. No one has come out and washed it away because some places in the UK are normal and not bloody batshit

AlCalavicci · 01/04/2021 12:13

@SleepingStandingUp , here you go , sorry I could not get any to you early this morning >>CHALK

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