Local kids banging on our door and running away

[jinsei]

We live very near a children's play park. It's a "naice" middle class area and most of the kids will attend the lovely local primary school which is known for having very high standards of behaviour in general.

So the kids have discovered that old game of banging on doors and running away, and it appears that our house is one of their top targets, presumably because of its proximity to the park. They're obviously finding it hilarious because it's happening several times a day, most days. It's harmless, I suppose, but pretty annoying.

So what do we do? Ignore? Go outside and read the riot act, bearing in mind that we may not know for sure which kids are the culprits? Talk to the local school?

Most of the kids are older end of primary age, so they are typically at the park without any parents.

Used to love a game of knock down Ginger! Ring doorbell.

Cameras to see them coming, then a garden sprinkler you can set off from inside- you don't want to spray the post man or someone innocent. Additional points for adding a colour stain to the sprinkler water and if anyone complains- you were fertilising the garden!

For those saying 'oh, they are just children, its just a game etc'. We had 11yr olds in primary school break through our heras fencing when we were renovating, attempt to kick our front door in, then threw stones and smashed a front window. They attempted kicking in the door 3 days in a row when I was in hospital and the car wasn't in the drive. Don't underestimate what pre-teens can be capable of when with friends!

Surely nobody on MN answers their door anyway?

I've had kids banging on my door for the last 15 years but it's getting more often in one night it happened 3 times. Had a ring door bell and it was smashed off. Went to the school just down the road they didn't want to know. They are kicking that hard my door is becoming loose it makes you jump it's that loud.

Ohh the game of chappy, that was fun back in the day...not so fun now im older and getting it done to me 😆 🤣 😂.
The kids down my way started at the bottom of our row of houses and by the time they came to me I was already 🕵️‍♀️ on the ring camera and shouted BOO! And frightened the shite out of them, not seen them since 🤣🤣🤣.

Yes, I cannot understand why adults fail to realise this - even if the kids aren't yet mature enough to think of other people.

Elderly people are the least likely to have camera doorbells and the most likely to have mobility issues/pain with having to get up and walk to the door, as well as probably the most likely to be worried that they might have missed an important call and/or frightened that burglars, scammers or rogue traders could be trying to scope out their home.

Can people really not put themselves in somebody else's shoes for a moment and see how one person's 'harmless fun' could be somebody else's fear and feeling targeted?

Just because a lot of children do it, and it has various established names for it, that doesn't stop it being harassment. The whole point of it is to disrupt, scare and/or annoy people - that's why they do it. Even if they do get bored of it after a while, there will be another group of children who cotton on to it as a 'hilarious wheeze', and then another and another.

I'd be tempted to get a big sign for the front door saying "You are being recorded and your image will be stored - these will be passed straight to the police in the case of all incidents of antisocial behaviour and potential harassment."

Alternatively, if you see who it is and know where they live, go over to their houses and act all innocent and concerned. Say that you saw and heard their child knocking on your door, but you were distracted in the middle of something important and so you couldn't get there in time - what was it that they wanted? And be insistent - "But they must have wanted something if they came and knocked on my door for me...??".

It's all 'just harmless fun'.. except when it isn't and it harasses and frightens householders, as well as potentially causing criminal damage.