Children chalking over our land

[Charliec12]

Hi all, am I over reacting? My neighbours brought their children some chalks at the weekend. The children are chalking everywhere with them including on my driveway which we half share with them. My OH said to one of the children tonight that the area looked a mess. Said child started crying and then the Mum came out and was confrontational and annoyed with me that I don’t agree with it looking nice in the area. I also have 2 young children and I get they want to have fun.

Yes because our land has been drawn on by chalk but still it is our property. If the parents had asked then fair enough.

Imagine making kids cry over a bit of chalk. What a miserable life.

OP you're being extremely unreasonable and my husband who is far more house proud than me said the same! Didn't you draw hopscotch on the pavements near you when you were little? We certainly did but then we weren't well off enough to have a house with a drive. You do sound a bit snobbish as well with you're throwaway remark of next doors being just renters. It seems most people think YBU which is what you asked but you still can't seem to accept it.

I work in social housing 🤣 good assumption there

Raised his voice in shock over some chalk drawings.

How does this man cope with normal day to day?

What a pair of miserable gits you both are.

Goodness I feel sorry for your neighbours, every time you reply you seem to dig deeper! You had a little sympathy at the beginning. You may have soured your relationship with you neighbours permanently. If you objected you could have found a constructive or positive solution instead you seem to be burning bridges, clinging onto the assume moral high ground.

You sacrificed good neighbourly relations, for the sake of a bit of chalk drawing? More fool you

Why did you start your post with "Hi all, am I over reacting?" when there's absolutely no doubt in your mind that your reaction was entirely proportionate?

Sounds like it!

As mentioned I have children too and they play out a lot but they know the boundaries as we teach them about respect.

So, if the parents had asked you would have said "Sure! Draw as much as you like!"

Maybe try teaching your husband about respect and then he will stop shouting at other people’s kids 🙃

I've never read such misery in all my life. Christ.
You and your husband can't be fun at parties. It's just CHALK! It will wash away.

Why not get your own kids some chalks and get them to join in? Why not see if the next thing they'd like to do is 'paint' with water? Or are you worried that might look unsightly as well? (Spoiler.. it dries up real quick).

Get a grip.

No need for that language is there

I am confused too on their land fine :)

So you’re offended by swearing as well as chalk. Wow you must be fun at parties.

You are missing the point it is not their land they are drawing on.

@ Pick your battles OP. Your b/f sounds like an utter bore. Shades of Victor Meldrew.

Just be grateful it's only chalk and if you're really bothered by it pour a bucket of water over it.
The kids in my street are lovely but my god they make a mess! Every wrapper, lolly stick, crisps packet ends up all over the street and they take gravel from their gardens and pour it all over the pavement and road.

I haven’t said that though have I. I have answered all the comments and given my side of the issue. I can do what I want on my post surely.

Oh, its the perfect parenting of course.

Good luck with your expectation for your dc to never ever do anything out of your control as they get older.

But of course in your opinion, they would never do such a thing.

Put up a fence if you're that precious.
Unless it is a shared driveway, in which case it is as much theirs as yours.

It's a temporary mess though! It's not like they've Sharpied the crap out of everything. Plus it rained overnight here – I bet it's not even there now.

I still think you're right to not have let chalk on your driveway if that bothers you, but, really, every answer you give makes me more and more #TeamChalk. It's not permanent!

@Roosnoodles who said anything about yelling??

I didn’t say that at all no. Someone said they own the land and I was pointing out they don’t. I wasn’t saying they can’t chalk on their land as they rent.