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.

Nah.

Poor kids.

Kids cry all the time, it's their job description!

When I was little our elderly neighbour made us wash it all off - we had chalked a few pictures on the road, not on her property.
It seemed a bit mean, even back then when random old people could be very grouchy and used to tell us off whenever they liked.

I think people are being harsh.

Many people struggle with chaos and mess and need things orderly and tidy. Mess can overwhelm them.

It's totally each person's right to have their needs accommodated when possible.

Drawing on their own driveway is one thing but if someone scribbled all over my driveway it would totally trigger my sister's OCD. It would genuinely cause her distress.

Simple rule. Don't touch other people's stuff (or land)

Occupy themselves on their own property ffs.

What else is ok? Swimming in your pool? Drawing peelable glass paintings all over your windows? Picking your flowers? Spraying silly foam all over your plants? Spraying temporary colour over your lawn?

After all, none of these things is permanently damaging anything. Presumably you'd be fine with all of this?

I hope they were playing hopscotch.

Poor kids. Can't just have a normal childhood these days without someone moaning about something.

Couldn't get uptight about this.

Now I had a grown man squat down and shit on my drive, that I did get uptight about 😡, chalk would have been far more preferable 🤣

How miserable do you have to be to get upset about this? Get out with some chalk and join in.

how is it hurting you. It’s not damaging anything permanently, it doesn’t require you to incur any cost to remove as rain will, and unless they are writing swear words or offensive slogans then there’s no emotional damage.

It's chalk.
It's the easiest thing in the world to remove.
Give your own kids some chalk and let them have fun too.

Why don't you chalk a line splitting the drive in half. They can do what they like on their side

COCK PISS CHARLIEC12

I remember seeing a video where someone had a large drive and a kid (about 3 or 4) kept coming onto his drive with his bike

So he drew him a bike track with chalks.

Not really relevant to the op but just saying- don't be the neighbourhood grump waving a broom handle at the local children for playing. It isn't spray paint.

Mine and next doors youngest spent hours at the weekend chalking a game on the pavements outside our house. A man walking his dog completed it walking past the other day. This is something I could never get worked up about.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with reminding children where they can and can’t draw. The OP’s part of the driveway should be off limits if they don’t want it to be drawn on. There is nothing wrong with establishing boundaries.

God is you OH this much of a fun sponge all the time. He must be a joy to live with.

That’s because you are being uptight.

it’s kids playing- not Rembrandt

Personally I'd be fine with the chalk, it's nice to show some neighbourly kindness in a low effort way such as this.
If they had been my kids, I would have asked them to only chalk on our side.
To make kids cry, it sounds like he was quite angry with them which was uncalled for. There's a way to admonish children without scaring them or seeming very angry. Mum was maybe upset by that, but should have acknowledged being on your land.

To be frustrated with kids chalking on my land.

He didn't phrase it well at all. But no I wouldn't want them on my land, drawing chalk on my land. A shared drive though?

Who didn’t wrote that?

So rude you could of worded that better :(

including on my driveway which we half share with them
Is it your land if it’s shared?

It was my driveway so yes our land.

Look forward to hearing the parents explaining to their small children that yes, it's fine to chalk on this bit but they can't chalk on that side of the drive because that side belongs to next door and they don't like chalk and will get cross.

Sounds a bit petty, doesn't it?