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Original poster

Just found out dd2(13yrs) has been playing ding dong ditch(knock down ginger/knockadoor run) after school when walking home with her friends

67 replies

ithinkmycatistryingtokillme · 14/10/2019 22:48

I am fuming, I thought she had more sense and was trusting her to walk home. We have spoken to her and said we are not happy with her and that if there are any more incidents that we hear about she will not be allowed to walk home or go out with these friends until we feel we can trust her.

We found out when she told her older sister this evening and are wondering if she told her because she was uneasy about it

OP posts:
myusernamewastakenbyme · 15/10/2019 00:01

I loved playing this when i was a kid.. .im 45 now and still tempted when i walk down a street...

thequeenoftarts · 15/10/2019 00:06

I am sorry to hear about your MIL.
Your daughter is only messing around, doing what other kids do. Yes, it is wrong but its not as bad as some of the things she could be doing. You could have a chat with school without mentioning names ( yours or child) and see if they could announce it at assembly that kids in the school uniform are doing this and while in uniform they will also be punished by the school if caught.

IncrediblySadToo · 15/10/2019 00:08

Is she generally a nice kid? If she is it’s just thoughtless, not malicious & I’d just explain how scary it is for the elderly/younger kids home alone/anyone else vulnerable and just bloody annoying for everyone else. Try to make her understand, rather than feeling told off

Original poster
ithinkmycatistryingtokillme · 15/10/2019 00:11

That's a good idea about the school queen, we've had words and we're going to see what happens, another thing she probably hasn't thought about is that I probably know a lot of the people, particularly the elderly or disabled due to my job

OP posts:
thequeenoftarts · 15/10/2019 00:24

Oh they are wee devils, I recall doing something similar as a kid, except we pretended we had a rope and two kids stood either side of the road and pulled up the pretend rope when cyclists came by. Well, one poor man chased us on foot for what seemed like miles, screaming like a banshee after us, scared the pee outta me literally. Never did it again, lesson learned

VenusTiger · 15/10/2019 00:28

OP I’d just embarrass her about it, that’ll make her stop and her friends too. 13 is too old to be playing such childish pranks. There were kids round by me doing it last year, neighbours’ kids too, he was 9.

Totaldogsbody · 15/10/2019 00:31

13 does seem a little old to play it, but I can't say that I'm any better I'm 59 and I loved playing it only thing is I lived in a tenement building we would go to the top of the building there would be around six of us working from top to bottom we would work in pairs top level would knock first start to run then the next and so on all the way down if some one knocked too soon we'd end up with a lug full from some poor householder. Even worse we would get a bit of rope and tie it to the handle of opposite doors knock and wait to see both households try opening their doors. The joys of growing up in a housing estate in Glasgow. But it was just a bit of good natured fun, no one ever thought of the consequences and as a pp said be glad she's not getting up to a lot worse.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 15/10/2019 00:59

We’ve all played it as kids. I certainly didn’t. I daresnt have done.
Ops right to be furious. It is harassment. Especially if you’re vulnerable..
Where’s the respect FFS. Would you like it if it was happening to your elderly parents
Are you all the ‘Do what you like type of parents, because from what I’m reading it seems so.

adaline · 15/10/2019 04:10

Didn’t we all?

No. I'd have got a serious bollocking for doing anything like that! It could be really intimidating if you have elderly or vulnerable neighbours.

Not nice. And at 13 isn't she far too old?!

GymNovice · 15/10/2019 06:15

Didn’t we all?

No we didn't Confused And I don't know anyone who did. I would have been in loads of trouble for harassing people like that.

FenellaMaxwell · 15/10/2019 06:27

I don’t get the number of people who think this is harmless. You have no idea if the doors belong to the elderly, people with disabilities, people with MH issues, people with babies who will be woken by the door.... It’s NOT ok. I think I’d be hammering on her bedroom door at 5am and running away, to make the point.

Some kids did this to us when DS was about 6 weeks old. He had colic and I had been up all night for several days, and had finally, finally got him to sleep when some idiot teenagers hammered on the door. I don’t think they counted on the running speed provided by pure fury. They won’t be doing it again! Grin (just to add, my DH was home - I didn’t leave the baby alone to go and chase arsehole teens!)

Meandmouse · 15/10/2019 06:31

Yes I did it but same as previous posters, I was young, not 13!!!!
Yes would be very unhappy if DS was doing it and he’s 13

Thatnovembernight · 15/10/2019 07:03

Genuinely surprised how many people did this. I walked a mile to and from secondary school for years and never saw anyone doing this even one time.
There have been a lot of threads lately with people being mocked for not answering their front doors unless they are expecting someone. Not really surprising if teenagers are doing this regularly.

BarbaraStrozzi · 15/10/2019 07:12

Nope, I didn't as a kid. Because my mum would have skelped me for it, and because I knew it was not a nice thing for the people who lived there.

Also agree that when I was a kid it was a 7/8 /9 year old game. A teen should definitely know better.

Time for a chat with her and some sanctions (don't go over the top - it's a night without electronics rather than a grounded-for-a-week type thing).

Quirrelsotherface · 15/10/2019 07:16

saying it's ok. Yes, we used to do this years ago, doesn't mean it's right. Times have changed, we're more educated, I'd hope we know more about how to treat others and what they might have going on in their lives. As mentioned above people also have increased security measures. It's also utterly shit to do this to a lonely elderly person or a disabled person who probably find life difficult enough as it is.

Quirrelsotherface · 15/10/2019 07:17

Missed the first bit off..pretty surprised at the amount of people saying it's ok

Miljah · 15/10/2019 07:20

No, I didn't do it as a kid, either.

It amazes me that MN is rammed with posters 'with anxiety' who go into a cold sweat if their mibioe rings with an unknown number- yet, think this is okay.

And thirteen? It would have been beneath my dignity as a cool 3rd former to have even consider such an infantile prank, tbh.

Miljah · 15/10/2019 07:21

Mobile! 😊

Roselilly36 · 15/10/2019 07:31

We used to do this as kids, but much younger than 13 though, had grown out of the silly behaviour by long before then.

A friend of mine was chased around the streets once by a very angry night shift worker once. That gave us all a shock.

Is your DD in trouble at school over it, has there been a complaint. If so she and her friend should apologise.

If it's the worst thing your DD does, it won’t be too bad in the scheme of things. It’s not a reflection on you as her mum, kids do silly things sometimes, try not to worry about it.

footballmum · 15/10/2019 08:43

I wouldn’t worry too much OP. If Mumsnet is anything to go by no one answers their door unless they are receiving visitors who have pre-booked their visit at least 3 weeks in advance Grin

Bairnsmum05 · 15/10/2019 09:46

Brings back memories 😂 we called it chap door run in our Scottish scheme. Also used to call random folk from the phone box.

Original poster
ithinkmycatistryingtokillme · 15/10/2019 10:29

I wouldn't have so cross if she was 8/9 but at thirteen I would have hoped she would know better. She's generally a good kid but does have a bit of devilment in her, however she's normally to shy to misbehave and knows we'll come down on her if she goes to far. It's been a bit of a learning curve with her as dd1 was too scared of breaking rules!

She's recently being hanging out more with this particular friend, he seems to be left to his own devices a lot(before anyone asks the obvious question he has a boyfriend) with no parental supervision. I'm pretty sure he was the instigator BUT she still went along with it when she should have known better.

OP posts:
ProseccoIsTheAnswerHere · 15/10/2019 10:34

Old enough to know better

If some lass did that to my door repeatedly she’d be hung up to dry.

We’re not in the 80s-90s anymore. We’re more considerate of the community.

PralineCookie · 15/10/2019 10:53

We’re not in the 80s-90s anymore. We’re more considerate of the community.

I was a kid in the 90s. My Mother would have killed me if I'd done that to our neighbours. I wouldn't have considered it though.

Original poster
ithinkmycatistryingtokillme · 15/10/2019 10:57

I wouldn't blame anyone who had ago at her for doing this, I would do the same if someone did it to me

OP posts: